How would you feel if you worked all day for your employer, and at the end of the day, he paid everyone the same wage? Even those who came to work a little late that morning. Or even those who only came to work for a couple of hours. All received the same amount of pay.
Did you know, there is a story like this in the bible. In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells of a farmer who hired workers at various times of the day. All of the workers who were hired early in the morning agreed to work for one day’s wage. While the others agreed to accept whatever the farmer thought was fair. In other words, they trusted the farmer to pay fairly.
At the end of the day, the farmer calls all of the workers together, and pays them all the same wage. You can imagine how this made the early workers terribly unhappy. By their calculations, they were do more. They had worked longer and harder than those who only worked a very few hours. They believed because they had worked longer, they deserved more money. Which I’m sure is what you and I would have done if we were in that same situation. But Jesus replies in Matthew 19:13-16, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” “So, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
There are numerous messages we can take from this story. One is that we are not to be people who are jealous when others are blessed, and we aren’t. Are you mad that Jesus offers grace to those that you think are worse sinners than yourself? Are you angered that he accepts a thief’s request upon his death bed and promises him he will be with him in paradise? Are you mad when another church is growing faster than your own?
This story contradicts our thinking. It makes no earthly sense. But that’s the point. It’s not supposed to make earthly sense. Jesus isn’t telling a story about working and getting paid. He’s telling a story about grace. And how wonderful it is. And how it’s offered to everyone. Salvation is a gift. You don’t earn your salvation.
Jesus is still addressing the rich young rulers’ question in Matthew 19:16, “What must I do to be saved” and with Peter’s question in Matthew 19:27, “we have left everything to follow you, what will be left for us.” The answer is found in Matthew 19:29-30 where Jesus says, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
What the rich young ruler needed to know, is putting Jesus first, not the perfect keeping of the law, is what made the difference. What Peter needed to know, is no one who has sacrificed for God, will go unrewarded. What the early morning workers needed to know, the midday workers and the late day workers, is salvation is a gift. You can’t earn it. No amount of work will ever pay our debt. That debt was paid in full by God when he accepted the sinless life of his Son.
I don’t know where you are today, in your walk with God. But the good news is, it’s not too late. If you’re listening to this message, then you can receive grace. Your age, your wealth, your efforts don’t matter. What matters, is do you know Jesus. If you need help, please leave me a message. And I will do all I can to share the wonderful message of salvation with you.
