The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard.
(Matthew xx. 1-16.)
Jesus had left Galilee for the last time, and He and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem, where He would be condemned to die. They had rested in a house on the road, and He had embraced and blessed the little children that were brought to receive His gracious touch. He had been met by a rich young man as He resumed His journey—one who wanted eternal life, but sorrowfully left the only Giver of that blessing because he could not bear to give up his wealth to follow the meek and lowly Saviour; and as the youth turned away, Jesus had said to the disciples, "Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God" (Mark x. 24). A conversation followed (Matt. xix.), in the course of which Peter asked, "What reward shall we have, who have forsaken all, and followed Thee?" to which question the Saviour replied by a promise and a parable—the promise that all His followers should gain a hundred-fold by their losses for His sake, and inherit everlasting life; but He added, "Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first," to illustrate which fact, He told them a parable. "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard." With those whom he first engaged, a penny a day was the wages agreed upon, and they went at once to work. A penny a day, young friends, was not such a little as it seems to us. It meant about eightpence halfpenny in our money, and would buy a great deal more than we can get for eightpence halfpenny now. You could live, in a careful way, at "an inn" for a great deal less than a penny a day; and when the good Samaritan took the wounded Jew to one of these humble places of rest and refreshment, he gave the innkeeper "two pence" to take care of his guest, and provide for him, and promised to pay any more expense should it be incurred.
The terms were very fair and liberal for a full day's work; but more hands were needed, and the master went out again at nine o'clock in the morning, then at noon, at three in the afternoon, and yet again at the eleventh hour, five p.m.; and finding still some unemployed, he asked, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" "Because," said they, "no man hath hired us." "Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive." Such were the terms on which all except the earliest labourers were hired.
The working day of twelve hours is ended; the men are called to receive payment; but, strange to say, the latest comers are first called, and each one receives the full amount—one penny. The whole-day workers are now dissatisfied. They have got all they were promised, but why should those latecomers have as much as themselves, who had been working all the time? "Friend," said the good man of the house to one of the complainers, "I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, or envious, because I am good?" "So," said the Lord Jesus, "in My kingdom the last shall be first, and the first last." And has not He, who is your Lord and Master, a right to do what He will with His own?
The disciples were thinking that Jesus would reign on earth, and make the Jews a free, prosperous nation, and they, as His first followers, wanted to be great men in His kingdom (see verses 20, 21 of this chapter). Christ, on the other hand, was thinking of a spiritual, heavenly kingdom, where He would reign for ever, ruling His people's hearts by love. In this kingdom God has always blessed His servants according to His own good pleasure.
Abraham, Isaac, David, and a host of others who served the Lord for many years, looked forward to dwelling with Him in blessedness for ever. The dying thief, whose day of life was spent in worse than idleness, in the service of sin and Satan, received, in answer to his earnest prayer, the wonderful assurance, "Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise."
Prophets laboured, and Apostles reaped the fruit of those labours (John iv. 37, 38). John the Baptist was great and honoured as the herald of Jesus, yet the least one in Christ's kingdom is equal with, and in some respects even greater, than he (Matt. xi. 11).
The Gentiles, in time past, were not a saved people; but now multitudes of them have been gathered to Jesus, and become the people of God, while the Jews (God's ancient people) have to a great extent despised the Gospel, and been shut out from its blessings; so the last have been first, and the first have become last.
Among the twelve Apostles, Andrew first found Jesus, and brought Peter, his brother, to Him; but Peter afterwards became far more noted than Andrew, especially on the Day of Pentecost, and in his Epistles; while Paul, the very last of all, the persecutor of Christians, became the first and greatest of the apostolic witnesses of Jesus. And Paul took no credit to himself for this. "Not I, but the grace of God which was with me," he delighted to say was the cause of all the good works done; and when he joyfully looked forward to the crown of righteousness laid up for him, he gladly adds, "and not for me only, but also for all them that love His appearing."
This parable is quite different from the one in Matthew xxi., where faithful and unfaithful servants are contrasted. All the labourers in this vineyard worked. None are accused of laziness or unfaithfulness. None are blamed for the way in which their work was done. Those who laboured longest were still well paid, while the late comers were rewarded by sheer generosity. So, in the kingdom of God's grace, each favoured servant of the Lord "knows in all his heart and soul that not one thing has failed of all the good things the Lord his God promised him." He never gives less than He said He would. He often gives more than we either ask or think.
Does the end of the day in this parable mean the evening of life, or the end of the world? And did Jesus represent the feelings of some of His people when dying, or at the last day? Oh, no! I do not for one moment think so. But you know we sometimes show a pouting, cross little child a picture of one like itself, to let it see how ugly it looks; and in the same way Jesus, by this parable, taught His disciples and us that when we are jealous and envious of others, we are finding fault with God's kindness and bounty.
And let us remember that, whether we are rich or poor—whether our labours in Christ's cause seem very successful or not—yet, if we have been called to serve Him at all, the highest honour has been put upon us. Far better to be employed in His vineyard than to be loitering outside; infinitely preferable to be "a doorkeeper in His house, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." His "ways are ways of pleasantness," and "in keeping His commandments there is great reward."
May we be His servants, loving and faithful, and receive at last that great reward which none but Jesus can deserve, "the free gift of God, eternal life," through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour; and our song of humble gratitude will be, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name be glory, for Thy mercy and truth's sake. Amen."
Our next subject will be, Ananias and Sapphira (Acts v.).
Your affectionate friend,
H. S. L.