The landowner in Jesus’ parable went into the marketplace hour after hour; finding men there at the proverbial “eleventh hour,” he asked them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day long?” Turns out, it was a lack of opportunity rather than a lack of interest; when offered an chance to work, they were glad to take it (Matthew 20:6-7).
I fear some of us do not have an excuse quite so good.
Do you ever text or Facebook message and wait around for an hour or two for a reply? I like to think of myself as being rather secure with myself, but I have to admit — that messes with my head. I’m not talking about waiting for their take on the meaning of life or the status of their dad’s cancer treatment, mind you. I’m talking about questions I have asked that require a yes/no answer. Of course, if I just got a yes or a no, I’d probably think that was rude. But at least I would have a reply. That’s something.
