The Generous Landowner (Matthew 20:1-16)

Once again, Jesus speaks to us in a parable.  This time, at least, we get some insight as to his meaning up front.  He tells us the story is about the kingdom of heaven.

"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. "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.'  (Matthew 20:1-7 NIV)

In this story, everyone is offered work.  Everyone in this life is offered work in the kingdom of heaven as well.  All of us are called not only to return home to The Father, but to join His Team as one of His Workers.  His Church is also called His Body in Scripture.  Each part of His Body must do its part in order for His Body to function as designed.  We are all called to get to work.

"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 20:8-16 NIV)

The benefits of coming home to The Father are obvious: we get to be with The Father again...for eternity.  The benefits of working in His Kingdom are just as real.  Those benefits, however, are the same for all of us.  Whether we begin working in His Kingdom as a child and never quit until leaving this life or we only come home and begin working in His Kingdom in our final days in this life - the benefits are great...and generous.

When we think about this story from a selfish perspective, we don't like what he's saying.  Like the first workers in the story, we want to get more than those who come after us or do less work than us.  God's perspective is different, though.  He wants everyone to come to repentance and return home.  He wants everyone to become a part of His Team.  The benefits are great, then, because they become incentives to those who haven't come home yet.  We shouldn't be jealous of those who come later.  We should be pointing out these benefits so they will come home too.  The first workers in this story are much like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son.  They want more because they think they deserve more than their less-important peers.  What they forget is that they are not more important.  God loves us all.  We should love them as well and celebrate with them.  They are home.  They are a part of the team!  We all get to be with The Father for eternity.

How about you?  Are you a worker who has been on His Team all your life?  Have you joined His Team later in the day?  Have you joined it at all?  Do you get jealous when someone comes late to the team and is still blessed by God?  Do you celebrate new team members?