In this parable we see Jesus telling us something about everyday life and each of Jesus’ parables are either from the market place, the farm, the family. You could say that today’s parable is about salaries, wages, and a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, it’s about the daily or hourly income. People always get tense, anxious and nervous when you talk about money, salaries, and income.
After reading this passage three times I asked myself what is the purpose of this parable? I believe the key to the story is the contrast between those who came at the last hour and those who came at the first hour. Regardless of when they clocked in, all were given a full day’s wage.
Those who were given a full days wage at the last hour felt that their wage was undeserved, unearned and a wonderful gift from the owner. The wage was a gift, a surprise, a wonderful delight. And there are Christians who feel that God’s generosity to them is unearned, undeserved, and they are surprised at the generosity of God. Such Christians have this attitude that life has been a wonderful gift from God such as these workers who came to work for only one hour and had received a full blessing from God.
Meanwhile, there are other religious people who were there at six o’clock in the morning and they worked all day long. They were born into the Christian faith; they were baptised into the Christian faith; they went to Sunday school; they went to Youth Group; they did confirmation; they were part of the fabric of the church; they sang in the choir; they served on The PCC; they came to church every Sunday. And they knew in their hearts that God owed it to them. They had the inner attitude: if anyone deserved to be blessed by God, they did because they had been faithful to God and his church all of their lives. God: I deserve your blessing. I have earned your blessing because of my faithful behavior to you and the church throughout the years.
Jesus said those who are last with an attitude of thanksgiving shall be first, and those who think they are first shall be last.
Tell me what did you do yesterday to deserve to be given the gift of life today? What did you do yesterday that was so good that you deserved to live today? To wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, see your family, come to church, be with nice people: what did you do yesterday on Saturday that you deserved to be alive on Sunday?
What about the young man who watched the marathon runners run passed him and then he leaps out of the crowd and runs towards the finishing line which was about a mile out from the end. As he was handed a medal another gentleman who had finished alongside him complained saying that the young man only ran the last mile, he doesn’t deserve a medal. The young man did get a medal and later that week; his picture was in his local newspaper. Several months before this young man had is left foot amputated after a car accident, he was a keen runner and even though the marathon runners had worked hard and trained well for the event and deserved their medals. For this young man, with a false foot, that one mile would have seemed like a marathon to him – that’s why the organisers allowed him a medal.
So it is with life and everything in life: life, the abundant life, and eternal life are free gifts of God to us, and we do nothing to deserve or earn them.
Jesus was telling the people around him that the parable was about salvation and that it was available to everyone, sadly he knew that only a few would take up his offer. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he paid the price for salvation for anyone who believed in him. It is his to give to anyone who comes to him. Some people accept Jesus, and have the joy of working for God for many years. Some people put off accepting Jesus until late in life, even until they are about to die. They only get to serve the Lord a short time. God makes salvation available to us all.
Today, our western ‘celebrity’ culture favours those who manage to push themselves to the front, whether it’s people with the most obvious talent or the stars with the busy agents. Sadly, that can spill over into the life of the church: famous leaders and preachers get attention and the ‘ordinary’ Christian becomes a passive spectator. We need to remember that there are no such people as ‘ordinary’ Christians. In the renewal of all things which Jesus spoke about, all sorts of people will stand out as the real heroes and heroines of faith, though nobody has ever heard of them before. They will be the ones who, whether for five minutes or fifty years served God with total and glad obedience, giving themselves completely to holiness, prayer, and the works of love and mercy. Such people are the pure gold of the church. But, so often, gold remains hidden and takes some finding.
God has called us to have an attitude of being humble, and thankful for our relationship with Him and not resentful of others who claim Jesus as Lord late in life. We should seek to work with Jesus to bring others to a relationship with him, to be humble enough to be the seed planters and allow others who will reap the reward of our sowing, to rejoice. To be humble enough not to want to covert another persons’ gift; but to be thankful for His many blessings bestowed on us.
Gracious Lord, help us to be humble enough to take whatever place we are given, and zealous enough to work wholeheartedly for your glory where and when you call us. Amen.
Questions:
1. How does Matthew 20:1-16 relate to today?
2. Have you been tempted to want to covet another persons’ gift, or position or property?
3. How do you feel that you may be one of the last?
4. Have you been treated unfairly? What did you do about it?
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