Jim Holmlund, Executive Director of Love INC Heartland
“And on receiving it, they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’” (Matthew 20:11-15, ESV)
Have you ever felt like the workers in the vineyard? These verses come at the end of one of Jesus’ parables in which a master hires people at different times during the day. Some he hired in the morning, some later in the morning, some in the early afternoon, and some late in the day. In the parable, the master pays each of them the same.
I know that from time to time, I have felt like one of the workers who was hired early in the day. It is easy to look at these verses and feel like Jesus is saying, You get what you agree to, and you should not worry about what others get. If you have ever been taught, or even thought, that this is why Jesus told this parable, you are mistaken. That is an earthly problem—it is an issue of our sinful nature.
In my work at Love INC Heartland, I see this many times as we serve our neighbors in need. It is easy for the givers to feel taken advantage of when the ‘ask’ for their help seems questionable. For example, when a giver hands out an item the neighbor really needs, and then finds out that the receiver has a 60-inch TV, it naturally creates mistrust in the giver.
Love INC affiliates were started to mediate this mistrust. We believe the local church is God’s answer to community brokenness and a part of His plan for redemption and restoration. We exist to be the bridge between the calling of churches and the struggles of the community. All of our church partners are asked to refer neighbors in need to Love INC Heartland, no matter at what stage of the church partnership.
When a neighbor calls us, we begin to build a relationship with them. We listen to their story, clarify questions, and verify their information. Through this relationship, we can help the giver understand the real needs of the person. Our Redemptive Compassion® philosophy helps us maintain a healthier relationship between the giver and the receiver.
Now, I share all of that to share this: this parable has nothing to do with how we feel about what we give or get in this world. This parable is about the Kingdom of Heaven. Some of us have been believers for as long as we can remember. Some of us became believers in our adult lives, and still others became believers later in life. Yet all of us who have faith in Jesus Christ, no matter when we give our hearts to Him, receive the same gift of eternal life. I find it best to let the Master of the vineyard, Jesus, use His generosity to give this gift to whoever He desires.
Our role is to be the workers in the vineyard. Our role is to bring this transformational relationship to everyone we can. Part of the Love INC mission is to transform communities. What better transformation can happen than for people to fully understand the love and grace of the God of the universe and the gifts He has to give?
From the first call a neighbor makes to Love INC Heartland, they know we are about Jesus. We connect them to Jesus people who want to share what they have and be Jesus to those who are in need. Jesus is an integral part of our classes offered in our Fresh Start program, and He is in the hearts of everyone who serves on our staff and as volunteers.
I invite you to be part of this transformational ministry. Help us give hope to people who do not have hope. The hope I speak of is not financial hope; the only true hope we can give is the hope of Jesus and the gifts He has for us all.
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