Don’t Hate Other’s Journeys

Matthew 20:1-11, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers… he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day… went out about the third hour and saw others (and hired them)… went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing… about the eleventh hour he went out and found others… When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first….’ When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner…”

This passage is commonly called the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, and was told by Christ to describe the kingdom of God. The landowner is Christ, the workers are Christians. The day is a lifetime for each of the workers. Many I believe teach that the delay in going to work is pre-salvation, and that the time of going to work in the vineyard represents salvation. But I know different. The fact that they all are “workers” of the vineyard is indicative of being a Christian. The delay is the journey of life that we all are on taking us to that moment when we are truly productive to the kingdom of God. I might even suggest that the time actually in the vineyard is the time of actual kingdom awareness. And regardless of whether that productivity/awareness is life long, or momentary at the end, the results are the same.

But why am I talking about this parable?

I talk about it because the body of Christ is contaminated with grumblers and complainers. People, pastors, parishioner  all grumbling and complaining and judging someone else’s journey. Recently there was an article in Charismanews that found it’s way to my computer via multiple sources. It was critical of Megan Fox saying “she prays in tongues. Should we judge that utterance?” It goes on to say, “This is actually a perfect illustration of American charismatic Christianity, where you can say you love Jesus… and still frequent strip clubs… Today in some charismatic circles, you can be a Christian gangster – or, at least, a toungue-talking, seductive starlet, or a Christian lingerie model, or a strip-club attending, Jesus-speaking rapper, just to mention a few…”

To those that subscribe to this judgment I would say, why do you hate someone else’s journey? How do you not know that Megan Fox is not one to be hired in the eleventh hour? Have you not studied the parable of the Tares and Wheat, and not understand that neither you nor I can correctly distinguish a person’s salvation. Are you not more worried that having cast out devils and healed in the name of Jesus that you might fulfill Matt 7:23 where Christ says, “I never knew you; Depart from me…”

When will the workers stop grumbling about God’s dealings with other, and start reflecting deep into their own heart to find the mind and heart of Christ. And His plan for good for those who love Him, regardless of where their journey takes them?

One person commented on the article that Mega Fox speaks in “demonic tongues.” Someone needs to read Mark 3 and see Christ response to the Scribes saying He healed by the power of demonic forces.

If not Mark 3, then perhaps Mark 9 where the disciples tried to hinder someone for casting out demons who was not part of ‘their group.’

Is Megan Fox now the beneficiary of Luke 6:22 where Jesus says, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man?” Better yet, are those critical the un-blessed of this scripture, who cast such dispersions?

We do not know another man or woman’s journey with, to, or through Christ. We must not judge it. We must not be jealous because our journey is longer, or harder, or without magnitudes of blessing. We must all simply look within and find Christ purpose for our life, a purpose that does not include casting dispersion on others' profession of Christ. It is God's job to convict, not ours. He is working out your salvation, and He will work out mine and theirs without our condemnation. 

There Is No Condemnation In Christ

Romans 7:22- 8:6  ,”For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on  the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin of death… (v6)… but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace…”

This is such a wonderful passage of scripture. Here the apostle Paul at the end of his ministry is getting honest and in shameless surrender talking about how he continues to struggle with sin, but that even as his flesh struggles he still is able to practice the presence of God. He is still able to be aware of God’s presence when he ‘sets his mind on the Spirit.’

I have someone in my life that is really struggling right now with the schizophrenic life we all live as Christians. We are all so capable on a moment’s notice of great sin even though we love God. For me, I think the bi-polar-ness of a sinful life in a Christian is exacerbated by teachings that speak of a need for repentance, or sinlessness, or holiness, or whatever man-made righteousness can be concocted in order to experience the presence of God.

This is poppycock in the sense that it is putting the cart before the horse. If we will set our mind on the Spirit, if we will practice His presence, if we will stop and quite our minds so that our spirit/soul can be aware of the presence of God, aware of Christ in us, aware of His kingdom in us… then all the other stuff will take care of itself. Sin will disappear in God's timing. Holiness will only be because of the increasing awareness of Christ and His kingdom in us. Focusing on Christ, coming to Him even in our sin and guilt will cause knew vision and understanding of how we are both sinner, and the temple of the Holy Spirit simultaneously.

THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST! Go to Him in your greatest struggle. Go to Him in your greatest sin, and understand that He is going to be there when you do. The sin, the anger, the lust, the greed all of it can’t separate you from God. Nothing "will separate us from the love of God." (Rom 8:39) God cannot look upon sin, and that is why when He sees the Christian He does not see the sin, but He sees the atoning blood of Christ.

It is very true that when you set your mind on the Spirit that there may very well be conviction. And if so then the response is repentance. But there will also be love. There will also be peace, there will be joy, there will be patience, even if it is only with yourself.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is at hand.” He said, “the kingdom of God is inside you.” (Luke 17:21) It does not come and go with your sin. It is safely protected inside you from the sin because it is housed in a reborn spirit. The schizophrenia, the bi-polar struggle of sin and Spirit is the spirit and flesh struggle for the soul. Stop and allow your soul to be aware of the Spirit, of Christ in you. When you do, you will have the experience Paul shamelessly wrote for us all. You will discover a great truth about the kingdom of God, and you will overcome, and overcome, and overcome.