Is God Fair?

Matthew 20:8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Surely we can feel the ire of the workers who worked all day in the heat of the day when they find out that they were paid the same as the ones who were hired late in the day.  So why does Jesus tell us this parable?

"It is important to see that the landowner did not treat anyone unfairly, though he was more generous to some than to others. We can be assured that God will never, ever be unfair to us, though He may – for His own purpose and pleasure – bestow greater blessing on someone else who seems less deserving." (Guzik)

Essentially this parable is about law and grace?  Law is about getting what we deserve.  An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.  Grace is getting what we don't deserve.  The workers who were irked by the generous payment made by the owner to the latecomers, were offended by the landowner's grace.  In one sense it was gracious of the landowner to hire anyone, including them.  But they thought they DESERVED more.  But they got what they worked for.  They got what they deserved. The owner was entirely fair to them.  

If you are a Christian, you were given the gift of faith.  You didn't deserve it, you didn't earn it, God gave it to you.  Will you show the same grace to others that God has given you?  Will you protest when notorious sinners receive the same grace you have received?  It doesn't matter if you received the gift of faith when you were age 5, 15 or 50.  The only question is will you share the gift you have been given with others, even when they don't deserve it.