May 21: Insight Post by Rusty Coram

  -   May 21, 2025

Avoid Comparisons and Envy: The workers who started early were envious of those who worked less but received the same pay. Jesus warns against comparing ourselves to others, as envy blinds us to the blessings God has given us. We are called to celebrate God’s goodness, not measure it against others.

Wednesday Verse

Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. Galatians 5:26 (NLT)

Wednesday Questions

Are there areas in my life where I compare myself to others or feel envious? How can I shift my focus to gratitude for what God has given me?

Wednesday Insight Post
by Rusty Coram

When I read verses 11 and 12 of our passage this week, it brings back some memories of my early days as a new follower of Jesus. “When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, ¹² ‘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.” Matthew 20:11-12 (NLT)

What I remember is hearing some people who had been Christians for a while complaining that someone like me was accepted as a full member of God’s family. What they resented is that they had lived outwardly faithful lives (no major moral or ethical violations of God’s commands), and someone like me, who had violated many of them, was now an equal part of the family. They acted as if I got to have all kinds of “fun” doing things God forbids, and once I accepted Jesus, my past was in the clear. Their attitude was that they missed out by doing the “right things.” Their attitude reflected two wrong-headed ideas. First, the early hires didn’t have to live with the uncertainty that the late hires experienced as they tried to find ways to survive and care for their families. Second, doing what honors God is not to earn rewards but to express gratitude to Him for His love and kindness. The workers who were first hired had the privilege of enjoying that security and peace of mind due to the owner’s generosity. Those first hires should have been expressing gratitude, rather than complaints. For me, the people who saw me as getting away with “sinful fun” had no idea of the heavy toll my life took before I found Jesus. I lost many friendships, hurt my parents, and live with memories I cannot erase. As a new Christian, I had to go and make restitution to people I had deceived, stolen from, or hurt. One thing I still carry is knowing there are people I hurt who bear scars that I caused.

The workers who whined about not being paid more for their work were blinded by their own self-centered perspective, and Jesus is exposing the danger of how this can harden our hearts. If we aren’t careful, we run the risk of treating God’s grace as something we are entitled to rather than the amazing gift it is.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴ Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:23–24 (NLT)

Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor

New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org