The Murmuring Against the Goodman - Matthew 20:11

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 in chapter twenty and verse eleven of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said, “when they received it, they murmured” where we read:

And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

The verse reads, “And when they had received it, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “and when” or “and at the time and moment” “they had received it” which means “the first laborers who were hired carried away, claimed and procured their wage and pay”. Matthew shared how Jesus began to tell what happened when the “first laborers” procured their remuneration for their work.

The verse goes on to say “... they murmured against the goodman of the house,” Matthew continued with the words, “they murmured against” or “the first laborers muttered, grumbled and said against” “the goodman of the house” or “the householder and master of the house”. Matthew wrote how the “first laborers” began to grumble against the “master of the house”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “first laborers” hired were upset because they were not paid more than the last workers who worked only an hour. We might hear them say, “unfair” as they “grumbled” against the “householder”. God is gracious, and He desires a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus. When they yield their lives to Him, regardless of where they are in their lives, He is willing to grant them more than others may think they are due.

Next time Matthew shares what Jesus said the first laborers said, “these have worked but one hour, and you made them equal unto us”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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