I occasionally teach the seniors' (as in old people, not high school/college seniors) Sunday School class and recently we started studying the book of Matthew. Matthew is filled with miracles Jesus performed, sermons He delivered, and parables He taught. Perhaps my favorite parts of the Bible are Jesus' parables. I just love reading them. They're unique in the way they reveal truth and make you think. I always have a feeling of solemn awe about me when I have finished meditating upon one for awhile. Jesus truly was the greatest teacher in history.
In Matthew 20, Jesus tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. In this story, a vineyard owner hires some day laborers to come and work in his vineyard for a day. He goes out around 6:00 AM and hires some day laborers standing in the marketplace, agreeing to pay them 1 denarius (a days wage at that time) for the day. Again, at 9:00 AM he goes back and finds more day laborers who no one had hired and hires them to come back and work in his vineyard. He goes again at 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, even 5:00 PM (the work day was twelve hours, lasting from 6:00 AM till 6:00 PM) and hires those who are standing there desperate for work.
At the end of the day, he goes to pay them, starting with those hired last, and pays them each 1 denarius. When those hired first came, they thought they would get more, since he had payed those who only worked one hour an entire denarius, but they too only received 1 denarius. They were then angry, and grumbled at the owner for paying them no more than those who only worked one hour. But the vineyard owner replied, "I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?...I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?"
The vineyard owner had paid them what they had agreed upon, he had not done anything underhanded. Sure, what he did was not "fair", but he had no obligation to be fair. It was his money to do with as he wished, and if he chose to pay those who worked less the same as those who worked more, that was his right as long as he paid those who worked a full day the agreed upon amount.
Jesus used this parable to picture the Christian's life, death, and eternal reward. Those who were hired first are those who were born again at a young age. Those hired at 5:00 PM are those who are saved on their deathbeds. In this parable we see the marvelous truth that Heaven is just as much for the thief saved on the cross as for man raised in the church. Everyone who calls upon the name of Lord for salvation will be saved. As long as you still draw breath you are still capable of receiving forgiveness and grace.
We also see the beautiful reality that is God's sovereignty. The vineyard owner was under no obligation to pay those who worked less than a day a full day's wage. He did so solely out of his own generosity. Likewise, God was under no external obligation to provide a way of salvation for sinful, rebellious, fallen mankind, He did so only because of His loving kindness.
Praise be to God for His grace and mercy, for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
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