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?”, and in chapter twenty and verse seven of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said the householder told the eleventh hour workers, “whatsoever is right, that shall you receive” where we read:
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.
The verse reads, “They say unto him, Because no man has hired us. He said unto them, ...”. Matthew began with the words, “they say” or “the men who were idle at the eleventh hour of the day uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto him” which means “to the householder”, “because” or “since and on account that” “no man has hired us” which means “no one has employed the eleventh hour men or let them out for wages”. “He said” or “the householder or master of the house uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which refers to “to the eleventh hour idle men”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “idle men of the eleventh hour” told the “master of the house” no one gave them employment, and the “householder” replied with the following charge.
The verse continue, “... Go you also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive.” Matthew added the words, “go you also” or “depart, leave and go forth even and indeed” “into the vineyard” which means “in to the grapevine field”; “and whatsoever” or “and that which” “is right” which means “righteous, virtuous, faultless and guiltless”, “that shall you receive” or “will be what the eleventh hour workers lay hold of, take away, claim and procure”. Matthew wrote how the “master of the house” employed the “eleventh hour workers” and told them they would be given a “righteous” wage for their labor.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “master of the house” was concerned for those men who were “idle” at five o'clock in the afternoon. After discovering they were not working at that late hour of the day, he hired them and promised to pay them what was “right”. God desires to have a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus regardless of where they are in their lifespan. Young, middle aged and old are all welcome to receive Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, and those who are wise will yield their lives to Him no matter what “hour” of life they are living.
Next time Matthew continues Jesus' story as He tells what the householder did, “when even was come”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
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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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