Seeing with Christ’s Eyes: From Resentment to Rejoicing

Seeing others through Christ’s eyes challenges us to move beyond comparisons and embrace divine compassion. Because of my work as a therapist and my time in theater, I’ve learned to see God’s image in every person. This is, in large part, a gift God has given me.  Many around me wrestle to see what I see.

In Matthew 20, Jesus tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, where everyone—whether hired at dawn or dusk—receives the same wage. 

Again, in Luke 15, the elder son resents his father’s generosity toward the prodigal. Both stories confront our human obsession with fairness and reveal God’s boundless grace.
How can we shift from envy to genuine joy when God’s generosity seems unfair? 

I sometimes think of it from this perspective:  if I and my friend were waiting for work in the market, both needing to provide for our families, but at dawn, only I am hired, do you not suppose that I might hope for my friend to find work also?  Perhaps as more workers are hired throughout the day, I might pause and look to see if maybe my friend has been hired.  Then finally, at the last hour, my friend joins me in the field to labor.  Now, I know that one hour's work will not make ends meet for him.  So, when I learn that he is also paid a full wage, wouldn't I rejoice?

 When we align our sight with God’s—shifting from human comparisons to divine compassion—we begin to rejoice instead of resent. Let’s choose patience over judgment and celebrate every soul’s progress as a reflection of Christ’s love.

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