More Laborers in the Eleventh Hour - Matthew 20:6

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 he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. And said unto them; Go you also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise”, and in chapter twenty and verse six of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said the householder went out, “about the eleventh hour” where we read:

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle,

and said unto them, Why stand you here all the day idle?

The verse reads, “And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “and about the eleventh hour” or “around five o'clock in the afternoon” “he went out” which means “the householder left and departed”, “and found others” or “and came upon other men who were not working by inquiry, searching, examination and observation ” “standing idle” which means “put, set, placed, made firm and established as free from labor, at leisure, and shunning labor which one ought to perform”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “master of the house” discovered more men at five o'clock in the afternoon who were not working.

The verse goes on to say, “... and said unto them, Why stand you here all the day idle?” Matthew continued with the words, “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which means “to the idle men whom the householder found at the eleventh hour”, “why” or “for what reason and cause” “stand you here” which means “are the idle men put, set, placed, made firm and established” “all the day” or “for the complete, whole and throughout the entire day which is comprised of sunrise to sunset” “idle” which means “free from labor, at leisure, and shunning labor which one ought to perform”? Matthew wrote how Jesus said the “master of the house” desired to know why these men were “placed and established” as “free from and shunning labor” all day long.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “householder” discovered yet another group of men who were not working. This time, they spent nearly the entire day unemployed. Like people who wait all their lives to finally recognize and receive Jesus Christ as their “Savior and Lord”, these men were found late in the day. God desires a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they yield their lives to Him, even if it is in the “eleventh hour”, God is prepared to receive them, make them His “children”, and give them “everlasting life”. Today is the day of salvation.

Next time Matthew writes how the laborers answered the householder, “because no man has hired us”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.