As I contemplated this week’s Lectionary readings, I noticed the themes of scarcity and provision. In the Exodus 16, the Israelites are sure they are going to starve, complaining about their empty bellies, and God rains down meat and bread from heaven. In the passage from Jonah, Jonah grumbles because he doesn’t like God’s idea of retribution, which is that God gives mercy. He also grumbles because God grows a miraculous bush to shade him, and it only lasts a day. In the Matthew passage, some farm workers agree to work for a daily wage, then are angry when others receive the same wage despite working fewer hours.
I can identify with that feeling of desperate craving and need; or with that frustration when I feel that fairness hasn’t been dealt; or that someone else has received more than me. Someone else has perhaps worked less and received greater notoriety. That jealousy. That feeling that I had a good thing and it was taken away and I want it back and now I want to die (Jonah says this in 4:9 - he is angry enough about the bush to die).
If we’re being honest, God’s generosity often makes us mad. God gives to people we don’t think deserve it. God is merciful toward those we believe should be punished. God is way nicer than we think God should be. We want God to adopt our ideas of fairness and equality. Because we think there isn’t enough to go around. We think the goodness of God is a limited commodity.
God, we admit that we spend a lot of time resisting your generosity,
Especially when it’s toward other people and we feel left out.
We bemoan the loss of things we did nothing to create (1).
We cry over the end of comforts (2).
We concern ourselves with equal distribution and retribution.
We complain about fair and unfair.
Who are we to decide the fate of a worker or a nation (3)?
Who are we to tell you what justice is?
When the sun shines on both the evil and the good
Is that fair?
When the rain falls on the just and the unjust (4),
Is that just?
When a worker who works an hour is paid the same as one who works ten (5),
Is that righteous?
When a wicked nation is saved from ruin by the mercy of God (6)
Is that goodness?
This nonjudgmental giving,
These endless means,
Are things we can’t wrap our minds around.
We are conditioned for scarcity.
It is a great lie
We’ve all believed it.
The world says: give equally
You say: give generously.
The world says: give just enough
You say: give as if goodness will never run out.
Because it won’t:
Your goodness will never run out.
Help us to live as if love and mercy and provision are unlimited.
Help us to live in the abundance of God.
(1) Jonah 4:10
(2) Jonah 4:8
(3) Matthew 20:16, Jonah 4:11
(4) Matthew 5:45
(5) Matthew 20:12
(6) Jonah 3:10