Matthew 20:1-16 Matthew 20:16 Thus, the latter will be first, and the first will be the last.
1. ( ) The owner and worker of the Kingdom of Heaven dictate that one day’s wages are (a. One b. Two money c. Three money) Silver.2. ( ) The worker's complaint is (a. do more with less b. pay for equal work c. do less with more)
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard -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. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius ? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
In the pay-for-work era, the metaphor of this vineyard is unclear. How could a person who has done a day's work be the same as the person who came at the end of the work? Is this not too unfair? But when we read the teachings of so many Jesus, we will find that the calculations of heaven are completely different from those of the world. When Jesus spoke of the parable, He was speaking as a heavenly king, in order that the world could see the kingdom of heaven from the eyes of its owner. Because if people look at heaven with the eyes of the world, they will never understand Heaven.
The daytime of the Jewish people is divided into 12 hours: the early days (3 hours), the afternoon (6 hours), the beginning (9 hours), and the evening (12 hours). Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a vineyard. The landlord went to the labor market early this morning to hire people to work. The manpower market is a method for some people to do odd jobs or casual jobs in ancient times. Because they cannot find long-term jobs, they go to the manpower market early in the morning and wait until someone in need of temporary workers picks them up. The first people who were picked were those who looked more robust and capable. When the owner came to the manpower market, he could choose according to his preferences. In other words, what was chosen was the man's luck because he had a job that day and he could get a salary.
People who remain in the manpower market are not in good conditions. Some are short and some are thin. No one wants to ask them to do things. So the owner went out and saw people who still had idle stations on the court. They told them to work in the vineyard. At noon, at the beginning of Shenzheng, the owner went back to work, and nobody wanted anything to go into the vineyard. Therefore, we must understand that it is not the conditions of these people that are good, but the kindness that the owners have shown to them and give them work.
The first people who went to work were naturally very happy. When they were happily working, those people with poor conditions were also trying to sell themselves on the market. When those who are not picked up shed tears in the open market, those who were selected for admission to the park had the opportunity to work. But when they took wages at night, everyone received the same amount of money. The first-time people blamed the owner (owner): “We labored and heated all day. Then only one hour later, did you call them like us?” They forgot that when they were in the manpower market, It's all the same waiting to be picked. The owners chose them because of the grace of the landlord. Those who were chosen to enter the vineyard later went in with great gratitude and did not talk about the price. They were very happy as long as someone asked them. Their work is not grateful for the wages. This is "the last will be the first, and the first will be the last." If you work without gratitude and thanks to gratitude, the effectiveness of your work will be even greater.
This is the difference between heaven and the world. God saves us. Some favor grace first and serve early; the latter is graceful, and the latter serves. It seems that people who were rescued earlier have suffered more. Actually, they can serve more things. It is a kind of grace itself. Because that means that you are stronger than others, more capable than others, when you are at work, compared with those who are waiting in frustration, which side are you willing to do? God is willing to have mercy on those “no one hired”. Their conditions are not good, but they also need to live, aren’t they? On the contrary, this silver money is a good price for the owner and every worker. It is as if God gave us the same salvation for every one of us when we were saved. It will not be said that the salvation received by those who are ten years old is several times more salvation than those who are ninety years old.
This is the doctrine of heaven. God loves every one of us. His grace and compassion are also the same. Can be chosen to serve God earlier, and the work of the day has brought great benefits to the man himself. On the contrary, the person who believes in the Lord at the end of his life, although he is saved, does not have the opportunity to serve, and he cannot practice. The dispute between workers and landlords is in fact a dispute between wages and grace, or the dispute between "religion" and "heaven." Some people still hold merits and deeds, thinking that they can use good deeds as a way to enter heaven. But the Lord Jesus said this is not the case. We can work (serve) by God's grace (monkey) rather than by ourselves.
In fact, this metaphor is answering Peter's question: "We have left everything to follow you. What do we get?" Peter later taught the believer: "Only you are the chosen race, there is the priest of the king. It is a holy nation, a people of God, who will proclaim you the virtue of calling you out of darkness into the wonderful light", indicating that he finally understood the meaning of the parable of the Lord Jesus. It is all grace. Not because we have something but God chose us in love.
Let go to God
There are some circumstances in life that we cannot control. Some people do things that we can hardly change. Although we are good intentions, things are always unsatisfactory and unsmooth. We need to learn to lay down and stop staring at the things that you are trying to change. Then we look to Jesus and continue. go ahead. It is no longer disturbed by the environment, and the calm and stability of the heart is maintained. It means that it has passed the test and is ready to enter a new level and height.
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