“So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.’”

Luke 15:29-31

The older sons and daughters in our families are often quick to compare how they are treated against their other siblings, which can quickly escalate into arguments. Because, tragically, we often serve God expecting some sort of payment, we find it difficult to observe the benevolence and goodness of God’s love in the lives of others. The goodness received by those who have only just returned to the Father often appears undeserved, compared to those who have come to Him and served faithfully, which causes jealousy and resentment.

In the story about the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1- 16), Jesus painfully reveals this to us. If we do not allow ourselves to be led by Jesus to the Father’s heart, we will only get to know the Father through hearsay. We will look at the world with envy and we’ll be quick to accuse those blessed by God of having received unfair treatment. As much as the Father wants us to share His joy, we are unable to. This is why He wants to free us from envy and resentment by His love, and only by doing this can He shower us with His joy.