Others Idle at the Third Hour - Matthew 20:3

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard”, and in chapter twenty and verse three of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said the householder, “went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace” where we read:

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

The verse reads, “And he went out about the third hour, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “and he went out” or “and the householder left and departed” “about the third hour” which means “around the third hour of the day which corresponds to around nine o'clock till twelve o'clock in the morning”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “householder” ventured out around nine in the morning.

The verse continues, “... and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.” Matthew continued with the words, “and saw” or “and perceived, inspected and examined” “others” which means “other men who were” “standing idle” or “made firm, fixed and established as free from labor, at leisure and shunning the labor which one ought to perform” “in the marketplace” which means “in the place of assemble, public debating, elections, trials, buying and selling as well as all kinds of business”. Matthew wrote house Jesus said the “master of the house” perceived there were other men who were not working and at leisure in the place of business.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus continued with His story as He told of the “householder” seeing other men who were “idle” in the place of business at nine o'clock in the morning. The idea is that He discovered them later in the day, and there are people whom God “finds” later in their lives. Some people receive Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” when they are children. Some receive Him when they are teenagers, and others as young adults. There are others who later in their lives receive Jesus, and though their time left on earth is short by natural circumstances, He desires to use them in His Kingdom. Let all who read these words yield their lives to the Ultimate “householder” Jesus Christ, and be used in His Kingdom today.

Next time Matthew writes how Jesus said the householder told the idle workers , “Go you also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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