Did you know that you can tell if there is something really wrong within you by if you want to sing? Like a bird in a coal mine. If the bird stops singing something is wrong. Check on your friends! Have they lost their song?

I had that thought today when I was continuing on my ponder of bitterness and what the root is that I need to pull. Once the Lord gives you a crumb, keep at it like a hound dog until you find the bone or in this case the root.

This morning, I was reading in the Geneva Bible and read a story that Jesus is telling about the kingdom of heaven and what it is like. He is talking about a man who went out to find those who would be willing to work in the vineyard. He hires some men, and they agree on a price. When half the day is over, he hires some more. Then again with a few hours left. And again with 1 hour left. When the day is done the man tells his servant to pay the men. Each man received 1 penny for their work. The men who worked the full day grumbled and complained because the man paid those who worked less hours the same wage. I get it that feels very unfair doesn’t it. Well, here is the answer the man who owned the vineyard gave. (I like the way Geneva expresses so I will keep the structure but update the language a little so it’s not confusing or unclear.)

Friend, I do you no wrong: didn’t you agree with me for a wage?

¹⁴ Take that which is yours; and go thy way: I will give to the last, as much as to you.¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do as I will with what is mine? Is your eye evil, because I am good?

Matthew 20:13-15

So… It’s my vineyard. I will pay what I agreed to pay to each. If I agreed the same and give the same to you as to another. How is that any of your business. Is your eye evil – meaning do you look at me and others with an evil heart because I have done good. From the perspective of the vineyard owner, he is being incredibly generous. He is paying everyone the same. But from the perspective of the one who worked the longest, this seems unfair and wrong.

The complaint the worker gave was this:

¹² Saying, these last have worked but one hour, and you have made them equal unto us, which have carried the burden of work in the heat of the day.

Matthew 20:12

Do you see it? … you have made them equal to us …

This saying, “evil eye” means to be envious. Did you know that envy appears in the eyes? One definition of envy says, “to cast an evil eye upon.”

¹⁹ Lay not up treasures for yourselves upon the earth, where the moth and canker corrupt, and where thieves dig through and steal. ²⁰ But lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither the moth nor canker corrupts, and where thieves neither dig through nor steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ²² The light of the body is the eye: if then your eye be single, your whole body shall be light. ²³ But if your eye be wicked, then all your body shall be dark. Wherefore if the light that is in thee, be darkness, how great is that darkness? ²⁴ No man can serve two masters: for either he shall hate the one, and love the other, or else he shall lean to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.

Matthew 6:19-24

Our eyes can be single and clear or wicked or dark – unfocused. What if the light in us is dark? What if all we see is negative? What if we only see how people are getting one over on us? What if it just looks like everyone else is getting the good deal but you get the less than?

But what if the light is single and clear. What if what we see is God’s hand to bless and the graces, He gives that we don’t deserve?

I find it interesting that this “way of seeing” is directly connected to what master we serve. And if we try to serve two masters …. instead of one single and clear master then we will hate the one and love the other. But even more interestingly, this is even more deeply connected to riches of this world.

MONEY! Who has it and who doesn’t? Money and how we see ourselves in relation to it will bring blessing and grace if we serve the Lord or it can bring envy and bitterness if we serve riches.

So, what then… We must stop comparing ourselves to others and take what the Lord (the vineyard owner) gives. He is pouring His grace – it’s what we do not deserve. He gives what is His as He wills. It’s all blessing and generosity. There is no place for entitlement in His kingdom. Did He not say, “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but few chosen.”

Remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered because it had no fruit. This was a picture of what the nation of Israel was like. They had branches and lush leaves. They looked really good, but they had no fruit.

What happens if we too are like that? Withering happens.

To wither is to dry up and shrivel, it’s a sapless tree. There is loss of vitality, force, and freshness. It’s a tree that has been exposed to the world conditions and beaten down by it. An interesting older definition of wither is to be contrary, to be against, to be opposite. It’s the part of us that resist being held accountable to grow and be fruitful. Withering is a sign of judgment because of fruitlessness.

This world has its own acts that they pawn off as fruit but are just works that leave them dry. Things like:

• immorality that gets passed off as going my own way and making my own path.
• impurity that we just chalk up to differences in personality
• sensuality that we think is just smart living by our senses but omits God and His wisdom
• idolatry we just think of as honor but we’ve lifted someone or something above the Lord
• sorcery all the many ways we look to this or that to tell us the future and secure our fate
• disputes leaving our heart hurt and angry but also proud because we have the gift of gab
• enmity because, you know, “only those doing something in this life have enemies”
• strife is just “telling it like it is” but with a chip on the shoulder
• outburst of anger is just “being real”
• factions are my posse, my people, my clan, my ride or die.
• jealousy is just cautiousness and watching my own back
• envy is just the fire to do better than the next guy
• drunkenness and carousing is just having a little fun

Sometimes we don’t even know we are doing it, but we are devoted to worldly, temporal things. We are overly concerned about worldly affairs – making us spiritually immature and fruitless.

Lord help us all! When we wake up to our own ways that we are trying to save ourselves and protect ourselves we find we are all in the same boat…. In need of Jesus! All of our bitter roots die, and we become better in Him.

Lord, I repent of envy that has brought complaint and bitterness in my life. I can see the curse of fruitlessness and withering upon me because my eye has been evil looking only to my own worldly affairs and comparing myself to others. I’ve forgotten your blessings and grace that you have given. I’ve acted entitled and it is not good for all that I have is from you and I deserve none of it. I ask you to cleanse my heart and eye of all evil and darkness. Give me an eye that is full of light. Restore to me the joy of my salvation – the true gift of Christ.

Thanks for Listening,

Starla