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 about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said unto them, Why stand you here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man has hired us. He said unto them, Go you also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house”, and in chapter twenty and verse twelve of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus tells how the “first laborers” grumbled at the householder because he made, “the last equal” to them where we read:
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and you have made them equal unto us,
which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
The verse reads, “Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and you have made them equal unto us, ...”. Matthew began with the word, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “these last” which means “the final workers who were hired” “have wrought” or “have worked and toiled” “but one hour” or “for only one hour”, “and you have made them” which means “and the householder ” “equal” or “in quantity, quality, likeness and agreement” “unto us” which refers to “the first laborers hired”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “first laborers” complained because the “master of the house” made the “last workers” equivalent to them.
The verse continues, “... which have borne the burden and heat of the day.” Matthew added the words, “which have borne” or “who have carried, sustained, upheld and supported” “the burden” which means “the heaviness, weight and trouble” “and heat” or “the burning heat, sun, scorching and drying up of everything” “of the day” which means “belonging to the daytime which is from sunrise to sunset”. Matthew wrote how the “first laborers” complained because they worked throughout the entire “heaviness and scorching” of the work day and were paid the same as those who only worked one hour.
When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “first workers” “grumbled” because they felt they were treated “unfairly” by the “master of the house”. They worked throughout the “entire heated day”, and yet, they were compensated at the same wage as those who only worked for one hour. We may be able to understand these laborers' complaint, and we find some situations “unfair”. God wants people to be in a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus, and when they submit their lives to Him, they shall realize His remuneration goes well beyond that which is “fair” in this world.
Next time Matthew shares what Jesus tells how the householder answered, “friend, I do you no wrong”, 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
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
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