Proper 20

Jonah 3:10-4:11; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16

Salvation seems unfair.

Jonah knew Nineveh was a wicked city that ought to be destroyed and he also knew that God wouldn't destroy it. The laborers who worked twelve hours complained they were paid the same as those who worked only one hour. The Philippians wondered why after putting their faith in Jesus, they were suffering intimidation at the hands of His opponents.

God replied to Jonah what He might have said to all three, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

It seems that there is a limit to anger — that includes our anger and God's — but runaway anger is everywhere right now.

That could be because we've lost a sense of solidarity with our fellow laborers, our fellow sufferers, and our fellow sinners. Paul writes about this solidarity in Sunday's epistle, "you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have."

Click here to watch or read the sermon to find out how to regain that solidarity and how God acts to keep anger in check.