| Matthew 20:1
¶ For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which
went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 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. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. |
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| The Lord doesn't
assign value in the same way we do. As seen in a later passage in this
chapter, he values service more than power or riches in his children, and he
rewards service in his name in the same way, without regard to its nature or
length. That isn't to say that there aren't special rewards for those
who render special service beyond their calling to salvation, but all who
receive Christ will be rewarded with eternal life, whether they serve him
from childhood, or make a deathbed confession. Those who hope to make
such a confession, though, may never have the opportunity; death does not
always wait on our convenience, and such an opportunity may be denied those
who count on it. Further, someone who deliberately lives a life of
rebellion with the thought of acknowledging Christ at the last possible
moment may find themselves unwilling or unable to make the confession, even
if the opportunity comes. In this parable, those who responded to the
call to work late in the day had never been asked before. To our shame
as Christians, we often never bother to present Christ to many who would
willingly receive and serve him for long years before they accept him, if
they ever do. Besides the opportunity for salvation, the parable has another meaning. Even Christians who are born again at a young age may pass through most of their lives without doing anything to serve him. If they do start, though, late in life. any service they do perform, no matter how short its duration, will not go unrewarded, in the manner the Lord sees fit. A couple of other things are worth noting here. Payment is made through a steward, someone placed in charge of the Lord's affairs. Though each of us is a steward of whatever the Lord gives us, the One in charge of the work of the church in the absence of the Lord Jesus is his Holy Spirit. The passage also emphasizes a truth addressed in other passages: most people who have God's call on their lives. for salvation or for service, reject the call. That's why, among so many Christians, there are so few laborers. |
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| Matthew 20:17 And
Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and
said unto them, 18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. 20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. |
Mark 10:32 And they
were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they
were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the
twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. 38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: 40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. |
| This passage
ties in quite nicely with the previous one about the rewards due God's
children, but the context is sadly different. Jesus has just told his
disciples what would happen to him in Jerusalem, but rather than being
concerned about what he said, two of them are more concerned about attaining
positions of power and authority in the earthly kingdom they were sure he
was about to found. Here, as in his example at the Last Supper, when
he washed the disciple's feet, the Lord emphasizes that greatness is not
counted by position, in God's kingdom, but by service. We serve
because of compassion for the needs of others, the hallmark of godly love.
Service in love often involves sacrifice. Just as the Lord gave his
own life as a sacrifice for us, so we should be willing to sacrifice our own
time, talent, and money, even our very lives, for the sake of others in
need. Greatness in the eyes of God, then, is not based on the greatness of our deeds, or on the length of our service, but on the extent to which we are the servant of all those about us. Politicians like to call themselves "public servants", but few of them really are; government employees are called "civil servants", but here, again, the label is usually misplaced. There is no greater label that God can bestow on us, his children, than that of the "servant of all". |
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