“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. [Note: a denarius is a standard day's pay for a skilled laborer].
“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:1-16 NIV
The teachings of Jesus is always not of this world. So many do not understand them. This parable is another example of that. Countless people and all throughout the last 20 centuries have tried to explain what this parable means.
Mine is a simple one -- the God of the universe is a generous God. In this example, he is a landowner looking for laborers. And the work is just for one day (or one's lifetime). Because the Lord's heart wants no one to be lost, so he waits patiently for the entire day, coming back out at different hours all throughout the day (ir at different seasons at one's whole lifetime) to seek them out -- even giving a last chance, at the 11th hour.
Whenever someone accepts, the pay's the same, one day's pay -- which is essentially the ticket to an everlasting life with the God of the universe, Creator of heaven and earth.
One might think that this pay is exactly the same, but if you reread it again, the last (one to accept God's offer) was the first (to get in line to receive his reward in heaven).
The first (one to accept) was the last (to accept his reward), such as in an award giving body where the minor awards are given out at the beginning, and the major awards, given out at the end.
Strive to be the first, the first to accept God's gracious gift and in turn, be among the early ones at his vineyard (in this world).
And then be the last, the last in line at the awarding ceremony and at the marriage supper of the Lamb and His bride (in heaven).
One thing that you should never ever be, is to be upset over God's out-of-this-world kindness and generosity. His nature is to be merciful to everyone and giving everyone a chance. Be of the same mind, heart and spirit, and you will not fall into this trap of being envious of others, and worse upset over God's anazing grace and His (hard to understand) mysterious ways. Besides, who are you to be upset, when you, has been graciously given the same gift yourself if not the choice to accept it or not. For me, only the devil and his demons have any sense to be upset over God's kindness.
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