Both the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard give us some insight into the dangers of comparing ourselves to others. God's goodness is beyond compare, not just because there is no other goodness that can compare to His goodness, but more importantly because it is futile to compare one act of God's goodness to another. The prodigal son had fractured their family's wealth, abandoned them, lost everything, and then slunk back home in shame and disgrace, and yet, much to the faithful son’s consternation, the father, in his goodness beyond compared, welcomed his lost son with such effusiveness that they killed the fatted calf and threw a big party. The faithful son had never been thrown such a party and, because he was too aggrieved, was not even participating in the party happening right now. Likewise, the laborers in the vineyard who had begun at dawn and had borne the heat of the day had to watch in shock and dismay as those who had worked only one hour were made equal to them in pay. When we get tangled up in making individual comparisons between us and others we lose sight of the bigger picture. The offended brother to the prodigal son may have thought that his brother was being rewarded for all of his bad behavior. But killing the fatted calf had nothing to do with how much more one son was favored or what one person deserved compared to another. The celebration was for a broken family that had been made whole once more. It may have been a celebration caused by the prodigal son's return, but it was meant for the whole family, including the son sulking outside. The laborers were all paid alike not because the Lord of the vineyard valued any less those who had worked the hardest, but perhaps because, as the day wore on and the need to complete the harvest before the end of the day became more and more desperate, the Lord had to bring in more and more people to make sure none of the fruit was left to wither on the vine and in his joy and gratitude that the great work had been completed by the deadline all were rewarded alike. Comparing our blessings, or lack thereof, to the blessings bestowed on others will only bring resentment or guilt. We should rejoice in every blessing that comes from heaven because God's goodness always spills over and benefits everyone. If our brother who was lost is found again, the fatted calf is killed for us as much as for him. If the Lord of the vineyard pays those who worked for one hour as much as he pays us who worked all day, then that just means that the vineyard is doing well enough that we will most likely be able to earn more wages in the future. If we maintain our focus on the goodness itself, and not how much or how little is parcelled out to each person, our eyes will be able to comprehend more and more that when we consider the whole grand scope of God's design, we will find that His mercy and goodness is much more fair and just than we could have possibly imagined.
