The Parable of the Laborers can also be described as the parable of ‘whatever is right’ (Mt 20:1-16). The Landowner stands for Jesus. He went to look and hire laborers to work in His field. These were rejected people nobody hired, idle, ‘doing nothing’. They did not look for work. It was the Landowner who went ‘early in the morning’ to look for them.
The word ‘idle’ means lazy or useless. A lazy man is someone who hates activity and loves a wasteful life of ease. These people stand for us, the sinners. We were ‘dead in sin’, careless about our soul. We did not even desire salvation.
Laziness is quite common. It is the sin of the people of God. It manifests itself especially in spiritual work.
Are you lazy in prayer, in the reading and the study of the Bible? Are you lazy in offerings, tithes or ministry in the church?
This is a reminder that Jesus is the One who takes the initiative, seeking the lost and bringing them unto salvation. If He did not come to us ‘early in the morning’ we could have still wasted our lives doing nothing, under the deceptive shadow of the world.
The first batch of people hired in the morning was promised a denarius as payment for labor. The Landowner went out every three hours to look for more laborers. Each time He found some more and promised to pay them ‘whatever in right’. At the end of the day, he decided to start the payment with the last group who came ‘at the eleventh hour’ and worked the least amount of time. He paid each one a denarius. I am sure they were pleasantly surprised and grateful to be paid that same amount promised to the ones who were hired in the morning. Immediately this group rejoiced in the generosity and kindness of the Master, something evil happened in the hearts of the first group. They expected more than they agreed at the beginning. But the Master paid them all the same amount. Then they became angry and complained against such ‘injustice’. What God called ‘right’ they called it wrong. The Master rebukes them and reveals to them the source of their wickedness: ‘an evil eye’. The word evil here means wickedness, envy and lewdness. The word ‘eye’ means vision.
The question still remains: how does God reward His laborers? The people who work longer in the ministry, are they paid more than the rest? For example, is Apostle Paul paid more than the thief on the Cross who repented at ‘the eleventh hour’?
The answer is not necessarily ‘yes’! God is sovereign in all His ways, including the choice of reward. The Kingdom of God is not based on economics but on GRACE! We start by grace and we shall end by grace!
The lesson is this: the motives in ministry are very important. If you work for God with payment of rewards in mind, you shall end up angry, wicked, ungrateful and jealous on others. Your vision of God shall be damaged and you shall find Him to be an enemy in His House (1Sam 2:32). But if working for God is a privilege to you, as a debt of love you can never fully repay to Him who died to save you, then ministry will be a joy and any reward received, much more than you have ever expected.
Please note this: the word ‘rewards’ in the Bible, in the plural, is always connected with evil and sin. For example, Balaam was hired with a divination fee as ‘rewards’. The backsliding Israel is compared with an adulterous wife, who makes friends with murderers and who loves the ‘rewards’ of sin. Nebuchadnezzar promised his magicians great ‘rewards’ if they can interpret his dream. Belshazzar also promised old Daniel great ‘rewards’ if he can tell him what the hand wrote on the wall. Daniel refused the bribe and interpreted the writing as the sentence of death. The wife of Hosea was boasting of ‘rewards’ received from her lovers (Nu 22:7; Is 2:23; Dan 2:6; 5:17; Hos 2:12; KJ).
For as long as you expect many rewards on earth and in heaven, you shall remain disappointed and angry, for God’s work among men is only a GRACE privilege, a totally unmerited favor to men.
This is my personal testimony: I am never disappointed to work for God! The safest way for me is this: whatever I do, I do it for the sake of my Loving Jesus, who saved me from sin. I love my Lord with all my heart! His love constrains me! I am ready to work for Him forever in any capacity He chooses for me. I do not look for many rewards. Not on this earth, and not even in heaven. Only hirelings look for ‘cash’ payments! God forbid! God’s children receive an inheritance they do not work for! Christ alone, His Person, His approval, His name of my forehead is my eternal Reward!!!
“Fear not… (Lia Leigh)…. I, Adonai, I am your Shield and your Exceedingly High Reward!” (Gen 15; 1, 2)
Thank You Lord! I believe!
I trust you for ‘whatever is right’
My heart is satisfied! Peace has flooded my soul!
There is nothing more that this!
Amen!