"The Reward for Discipleship"

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

For many people today, their focus on this life is all about what they can get out of it. They join organizations that can increase their personal prestige, they attend the “right” university and enroll in the “best” degree program, they search out employment that will bring them wealth and position and authority and recognition, they join a church that will look good on their resume, and nearly every other decision that they make is all about how it will benefit them.

But as we know from scripture, coming to faith in Jesus Christ is not as much about what we get, as it is in what we are willing to give. That was Jesus’ way, and it must be ours. But our giving can never be in a worldly way. It’s about giving up control, it’s about giving our lives, it’s about letting the Lord lead us in this life and to set the standard that we should follow. And in that, the reward will also be incredibly unworldly.

Today’s parable, “Workers in the Harvest”, is about our labors, and God’s version of equality in the compensation that all will receive.

Read Matthew 20:1-2

In agricultural circles, employment can come in ways that are different from other businesses, especially in by-gone times. In Jesus’ day, manual labor prevailed, and as the need for labor varied, the slack was cared for through day laborers. This was especially true during harvest, and with some crops today, this is still true where manual, as opposed to mechanical harvesting, is beneficial.

In the parable, this would be the first group hired for the harvest. The pay that was offered was the standard wage for a 12 hour work day. An actual conversion of the Roman denarius to our monetary system is difficult, but it would be worth very little – a couple of dollars at best. Day laborers and their families lived deep in poverty, and were always teetering on the verge of disaster. So the opportunity for a day’s wages might keep them going for another day or two.

But if we think about it, our Lord is revealing a unique and poignant message for us. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray “Give us this day our daily bread”, and it’s possible that we miss the intent of these few words, but the point was right on for the laborers in the parable - they knew exactly what “daily bread” was all about and how important is was for them and their family!

One step, one day, and one day’s meal at a time. Not much of a reward for your labors, but it would be sufficient!

Read Matthew 20:3-7

So now we read that as the day progressed, there were more opportunities for work. The initial offer would have been at about 6 in the morning, and now, more opportunities come every 3 hours. But the interesting thing is in the offers for compensation.

The first was fairly normal – “work for me today, and I’ll pay you a day’s wage” – routine work for a normal day’s pay. But after that, it was more a matter of trust on the part of the workers! Imagine having a job offer with the financial considerations being “whatever is right”, or even no mention of pay whatsoever?

None of these additional workers would be working for the entire day. So what should they expect to be paid? Not very much, that’s for certain! But we need to remember that this is one of Jesus’ parables, a teaching moment - not about working in a vineyard, but about God’s benevolence, about the ways of Christ, about the truth of God, not about the restrictive ways of earth. It began “the kingdom of heaven is like …”, so what is our image of the kingdom?

Does it have any relationship whatsoever to our earthly labors and the compensation we receive? Is heaven our payment for perfection in our worldly endeavors? Is our worth examined every day and based on our daily contribution to God’s plan? Is it how hard we work, how much success we have, how many others we bring into the kingdom, that earns us God’s pleasure?

What is “right” in God’s mind and heart? And what about that offer at 5 in the afternoon – come and work, for no guarantee of pay? No reward if our opportunity for work is minimal? What is Jesus telling us?

Read Matthew 20:8-12

Fairness, like beauty, is, apparently, in the eye of the beholder! And the truth is that we seldom agree with what others “behold”! Fairness has become a personal and relative issue, and from our point of view, it usually centers on what fairness brings to our own life! And not only in absolute terms, but more importantly, in comparison to what others receive.

So it should be no surprise to any of us that the workers in the parable consider the vineyard owner’s actions as completely unfair! As a matter of fact, they even equate his generosity to a complete breakdown in the normal meaning of “fairness”. They say that the owner has made the work that they have completed less valuable by making it “equal” to what others have done. After all, how could 1 hour of work be as valuable as that of 12 hours?
They were equating the value of their work in terms of the relative compensation that they received versus that of others.

But this is a Godly parable, not a story about the world’s truth! It’s about the Lord’s concept of what is fair and what isn’t, and his ways are anything but the same as ours! (Isaiah 55:8-11) Apparently, the Lord’s pleasure in us has nothing to do with how much we do, how long we do it, how marvelous we may think our ministry has been, or especially how well our Christian efforts meet the standards of earth! God’s only desire is that we give him our all, for as long as we have with him, in his way and by his leadership.

The Lord sees our lives and hearts and efforts in his perfect truth, not ours. He judges us by his standards, not by the norms of the world. He calls us to serve in ways that he knows and approves, not in those that make us comfortable.

Pray that his ways will reign over the world and guide us all!

Read Matthew 20:13-16

The lessons that the Lord is offering are many - given for the Jews, for the disciples and the fledgling Church, for Christians throughout the centuries, and even a special message for the people of today:

First, the Jews: For centuries, they had pinned their hopes in Messiah on the fact that they were “the chosen” of God. They had decided, on their own, that this meant that there were no conditions attached to their holy covenant. They strayed from the ways of their Jehovah God, they had worshipped contrived images as well as the gods of other nations, they had given their allegiance to other worldly powers, including that which Rome was exercising over them, they even followed the Law of Moses, instead of the ways of the Lord and worship was totally perverted. And they had the audacity to think that God’s promises were still exclusively theirs?

But Jesus was telling them that everything was about to change, that since they were incapable of following his word faithfully, others, gentiles, of all people, would be allowed in and that they would receive the same promises that Israel had been given years before. Not especially welcome news for Israel!

Second, for his disciples and the early Church: they were about to be given authority to carry on the ministry that Jesus had begun, and they were to grow the new found faith in him. However, even though they had been blessed with knowing him first, and even though they were being given divine authority and responsibility to carry on in his name, they were in no way to consider themselves as being higher and more loved and more important than anyone else. Their promise was no different than that for others who would come to faith in Jesus in the years to come, and it mattered not whether new converts came to faith by their witness, or that of others.

Third, for the future church: a similar message, but especially for those who would come to the Lord early in life. They were to know that just because someone was to have many more years serving the Lord than others, time held no importance for them. Whether we have 50 years in faith and service to Jesus, or only 50 minutes of faith in Christ, the promise of eternity holds true for both.

And fourth, for us in our current situation: labor in the Lord takes many forms. We have been involved in regular ministries for a number of years – some that we have initiated, and some that have come to us from others – regardless of what or how long, ministry must continue, even in our confinement and separation. The old ways may not apply any more, the old ways can no longer reach others like they used to, the old ways may even be broken, so maybe this is a new opportunity to begin fresh. This is a time to leave our comfort zones and step out in new ways and possibly for new people. Innovation is required; trust in the Lord must be absolute; eagerness to follow wherever God leads us is vital; seeking new ways to share our love of Christ and to witness to the grace we have received must be our only direction and goal.

God can do whatever he desires, whether we understand it or not. And his generosity? It is limitless!
And the final words of the parable – “So the last will be first, and the first shall be last.”? The humble, the lowly, the ones who submit to Godly ways, the ones who do not lord it over others, the ones give all glory to the Lord will be the ones who will be seen as first in the kingdom. And those who seek personal recognition, those who seek privilege and prestige and authority for themselves, those who strive to put themselves first in this life, will become last and least in the kingdom.

Let the world see us as last, for that is the way of Jesus, and it will also be the only way to gain access to glory and life in the kingdom of heaven. May it be so for each of us.