“My 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 as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matt 20:13-15 RSV).
“Take what is yours and go home.” Sometimes, we aren’t even grateful for what we´ve got, what we´ve been given. Instead of being grateful, we focus on “the other”, what he´s got or what he´s been given. This comparison seems unnecessary and brings us sorrow. Instead of invest time and energy developing our God-given talents; we spend that time envying how other people have successfully developed theirs. This parable reminds us that the Lord is never unjust. The owner of the vineyard says: “My 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 as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
“Take what is yours and go home.” Stop envying your brother or sister. Stop criticizing unnecessarily his or her efforts. Stop complaining that you have been so unfortunate. Even though all fingers aren’t equal, each is equally important and valuable. It is wrong for a carpenter to wish to have been a mechanic, or a teacher wishing to have been a farmer. There is nothing wrong in aspiring higher or even changing career. But it is envy that makes you think that this is better than that; that if you were this and that; you would have done better than A or B. The negative energy is wearing you down. You are not happy at your present position. Instead of working towards a better position by taking the necessary courses and exams, you feel pulling the other down will make you great.
“Take what is yours and go home.” It is wrong to feel that someone´s else success will diminish your own glory. We are created wonderfully and uniquely. To feel threatened and intimidated by someone else´s successful exploits exposes your level of mediocrity and low self-esteem. Yes, someone else´s success can challenge me but I shouldn´t feel threatened because A or B has reached such a career height. When you are threatened, envy and jealousy set in. When these sets in, you are ready to do anything to eliminate him, to take him out of sight, believing that in doing so your own glory will increase. But you lie to yourself, because diminishing someone else´s light cannot brighten yours. We rather grow better by helping others grow better still.
“Take what is yours and go home.” Appreciate the level that you are. Appreciate the help you have receive from others on the way top. Appreciate the support of friends. Appreciate the ambience created by your colleagues. Appreciate your teachers and employers. Say no to envy. Appreciate and value what is yours. Appreciate and value the gift of others. Pulling others down is counter-productive. It diminishes your own humanity. It makes you such a wicked creature.
“Take what is yours and go home.” Life is simple but we make it complicated. We want to compete and fight for everything. We want to have everything. We are never ever satisfied. We want that which belongs to others as well. It is all about I, me and myself. Such a selfish life can be such a miserable life. Let´s learn to be content with what we have. There is wisdom in the response of the owner of the vineyard in that parable: “Take what is yours and go home.”
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