There's No Need to Grumble About Work in the Kingdom of Heaven

Scripture Passage that Caught My Attention Today: Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Observation: I think it’s easy to miss the main point of this parable.

Application: It’s easy to look at this parable and either side with those who worked through the heat of the day (they should get paid more because they worked longer) or to side with the land-owner (because those who worked though the heat of the day agreed to be paid such and such a price and therefore he had done them no wrong). But the people who were really treated unfairly in this parable are those who only worked for an hour. Why? Because they only got to work for one hour! They would have been quite willing to work through the whole day, but no one had hired them. They had the ability to work, but were deprived of work. They had offered themselves, but no one had accepted their offer until there was only one hour of the day left.

The ability to work/serve itself (whether for pay or as a volunteer) is a gift. The appropriate response is thanksgiving. It would appear, according to Jesus, that the ‘kingdom of heaven’ will be full of such opportunities.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for the opportunities that you provide to work/serve in your name. Thy will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

(Scripture Readings today included: 2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17, Psalm 2, and Matthew 20)