Parable of the Vineyard Workers
The parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20: 1-16 has many lessons to teach us. One thing we know, the kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom compared to the world. In this parable a landowner hires workers for his vineyard at the beginning of the day for a specified wage (a denarius). He then continues to hire workers all through the day until nearly quitting time. When wages are paid, he pays the ones hired last first and surprisingly pays them a denarius even though they only worked a short time. The ones hired first get a little excited, anticipating more money, but to their surprise they too receive a denarius. When they complain, the landowner tells them it is his money to do with as he pleases. Then he repeats a phrase we have heard before in verse 16,
"So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen"
Fairness v Grace
In our world fairness would demand that the workers who worked fewer hours should have been paid less. In God's world payment isn't based on fairness but on generosity, on grace. If God is the landowner and the payment, the reward is Heaven, then thanks be to God that we don't receive what we deserve. God rewards us with His grace. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we have been saved by grace and that it is God's gift. Thankfully God deals with us according to His nature and not ours.
All Parts Are Needed
But what does the reaction of the workers hired first tell us? It tells us that they were jealous, envious of the workers hired last. When we see God bless others in a way that we think they don't deserve how do we react? Do we think, "But God why them and not me? God don't you know what they did?" Shouldn't we rejoice that a member of God's kingdom was used for His glory? Since we are all part of the body of Christ and all parts are necessary for the proper functioning of that body, we should share their honor. As I Corinthians 12:21 reminds us, no part of the body can say to the other that they are not needed. All are needed.
Laborers are Few
It is interesting that the landowner had so much work for these laborers that he continued hiring them, even into the later part of the day. In fact, he asks these workers why were they standing idle. This reminds me of Matthew 9:37 where the Lord tells his disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Are we guilty of "standing idle" in the service of God? The laborers replied that they were idle "because no man had hired them." As Christians, we can't say that we haven't been hired. 2 Timothy 2:15 says that we should be a worker without shame, approved by God. Our God is the Lord of the harvest (Matthew 9:38).
An Upside-Down Kingdom
This parable shows that God's value system is the opposite of the worlds. In God's Kingdom the first are last; strength is perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10); the proud are opposed by Him but the humble are blessed with grace (James 4:6); the foolish shame the wise (I Corinthians 1:28); and in Matthew 21:31-32 Jesus tells the Pharisees, those great rule followers, that tax collectors and prostitutes would live in God's kingdom before them. In the Beatitudes, in Matthew chapter 5, our Lord lists those who are blessed and it is not who the world would consider blessed; the meek, the mourners, the persecuted. God's values are not the worlds.
Stewards of Grace
When we work in God's kingdom what should we expect? Our labor may cause us to experience suffering and death. This is what it cost our Savior. When we serve in the Kingdom of God, we may not be very happy about where that service may lead us. God does not call us all to such extreme sacrifice but each in his own way is expected to use their gifts to serve others. Why? Because we are stewards of God's grace. (I Peter 4:10) A steward is someone placed in charge of something that is not their own. We are workers in the service of our King and this labor is not in vain (I Corinthians 15:58).
Gift of God
Our King has a heavenly reward for us all. We thank Him that the length of our service or even the extent of it, is not what determines this reward. All of us must labor in the vineyard (James 2:26) but grace, and not what we deserve, is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
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