For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
Matthew 20:1-16
In the parables of Jesus, we find a great deal of teaching on such things as the value of the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44–46) and the way in which the kingdom grows (Mark 4:26–32). Many parables also tell us about how our Creator deals with His people, and that is the focus of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Grapes were one of the most valuable commodities in ancient Israel because they could be transformed into fine wines. So important were the vineyards that the prophets often describe the salvation of God’s people as including the restoration of the vineyards of the Promised Land, as in Amos 9:14. Vinedressers and vineyard owners know, however, that the profitability of their vineyard depends on harvesting the grapes at just the right time. Wait too long, and the wine produced from the grapes will not be as good and will not command as high a price as it should. Consequently, when the time of harvest comes, vineyard owners often employ many day laborers in addition to their regular staff so that all of the grapes can be picked before it is too late. That is the setting of our verses today. This venter’s grape harvest is so large that, to get sufficient help, he must keep returning to the marketplace, which was where day laborers gathered. Though the venter goes several times during the day to hire laborers, he pays all of them the same wage—one denarius—at day’s end. This upsets those who were hired at the beginning of the day, viewing his actions as an injustice for they were getting the same amount of money as those who worked far fewer hours. When they complain about it, the venter responds by correcting their understanding. The complaining laborers made the error of thinking that the venter had no inherent right to determine how he would use his labor and money. Jesus’ point is that, like the master, God has the right to determine how much grace He will give to people. The Lord is not obligated to give anyone grace, let alone the same grace to all people. As the master in his treatment of the laborers was not unjust, God is never unjust. People get what God has promised them. Yet, some people get more than others, and since the Lord owes us nothing but wrath, we may never complain about our portion. If one believes God’s Grace is owed to him/her, it is no longer Grace! In our fallen condition, we are tempted to believe that God somehow owes us something other than justice. However, if the Lord were to pour out His justice on us, we would all be destroyed. But God shows grace to His people, saving them from their sin though He owes them no such salvation. Grace, by definition, is not owed and, we have no right to complain when it is shown to others more than it is shown to us.
Source: S C Ball March 12, 2023
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