“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder (more or less a landlord) which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
And when he agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
And said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
So we even was come (it became evening) the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire (wages), beginning from the last unto the first.
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have receive more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
And when they had received it, they murmured (complained) against the goodman (owner) of the house
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and the heat of the day {We have worked the hardest and you have paid the one who only worked one hour the same}
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou agree with me for a penny? {didn’t you agree to a penny}
Take that thine is, and go thy way (Take what is yours and go) I will give unto the last, even as unto thee.
It is not lawful for me to do what I want with mine own? (what is mine) Is thine eye evil, because I am good? (Are you upset because I am fair)
So the last shall be first and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” Matthew 20: 1-16
This is one of my favorite parables, and I know you are probably thinking, “Look Chicky, you say that about all of them.” Well, yeah, that’s accurate too, but this is like really, really high on the list 😊
The fairness of God is so displayed in this passage.
We are equal in the sight of God and that is awesome.
A person who received Christ as they laid dying on the deathbed is equal with someone who lived for the Lord for eighty years.
All those through every generation of humanity who were called and worked and served and grew the church are equal in the fact that we are all given the same wage of eternal life.
All those through time, from the beginning, third, sixth, and ninth, finally eleventh hour workers.
Those who bore the burden, think of those who started the churches and faced hatred, ridicule, and slaughter. Churches literally built on the blood of Christ and the blood of his martyrs, most of the prophets and apostles were murdered for their faith.
Those who bore the heat of the day, suffering persecution. Think about all those of the early church, all those who were martyred tortured, burned alive, threw into the coliseums to be slaughtered by animals.
Along with all those who have been martyred for their faith during every spiritual hour in which workers have been called, and those that are being martyred this very day.
The mid-day and evening workers spreading the Gospel and not faced so much with the burdens and the heat. but putting in the work still the same.
The eleventh-hour workers, not having to work quite as long, as time is running out. Their work must be fast, and it must be precise as there is no time for do overs.
These workers are faced with the challenge of working while it is almost pitch dark as the forces of hell give it all they got because they are also aware of the day dawning.
But at the end of the day, which will be the beginning of the new day, we will all receive our wages of eternal life.
Some who will still be alive and working for the kingdom when that trumpet sounds will be raptured having never known mortal death as those who have died in the Lord will be resurrected to never know death again.
Now that should get you excited!
Just a quick footnote, we do receive crowns and rewards as we store treasures in heaven and those are individually based.
Just think the little widow that was heckled by those who criticized her offering as small, Jesus quickly defended by saying that she had given more than all of the others because she gave all she had, which was two mites, (about fifty cents).
Just think she could have greater reward than the greatest evangelists of all time.
It is all precious to God. Never think what you do does no matter, God sees everything, every act of love, every smile, or kind word to someone who needs compassion, every hungry creature you feed.
Remember what he said about giving a drink of water to one of his children, it is as if you had given that cup to the lord himself, and it does mean that much to him,
Our kindness, our mercy, the love we have shown it all counts, it does not have to be monetary.
We will not know our rewards or treasures until we get there, but I believe many of us are not even concerned about the reward we will just be thrilled to be there.
But we can be assured that we have that wage of eternal life, whether we worked all day or just showed up at the last hour and ran out of time, we will be paid the same.
We will look later in another post at that ending verse concerning the called and the chosen, this can be a kinda scary verse if it’s not understood.
It can be misread as being called but rejected and not chosen, that is not what it means.
So, I want to quickly hit it.
When I was saved, I literally fell off the turnip truck. I knew nothing and my first pastor, who was an amazing man of God and has since gone home to the Lord, explained that verse to me, it means that many are called, and they are saved but some are chosen vessels for very specific tasks.
I hope this will encourage you today, we are not required to do certain works, we do not have some quota to fulfil, the only thing we have to do to collect our payday is accept the wonderful, free gift of the salvation of Jesus Christ.
That is pretty awesome!
Thank you for reading! Love & Peace to you and yours today!
NBJ 2024/ Rev. n. Brown Johnson
Sword & Lily 