A Day's Wages

(Today's reading - Ex 19-21; Matt 20:1-16)

In the Old Testament part of our reading Moses was given the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. God made a covenant with the children of Israel... "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation". So, they were off to a good start; tune in tomorrow for an update on their progress.

In the twentieth chapter of the book of Matthew, we are given a very interesting story by the Master. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to an estate owner and how he conducts his business. It goes like this...  The estate owner goes out and finds workers for his vineyard. He does this throughout the day and at the end of the day he pays them all the same wage. He pays them what they had agreed to work for. Those hired first are upset that those hired last received the same pay, even though they had worked less time. Sound reasonable? The owner tells them that he payed them what they had agreed to and that it was his money anyway. He asks them if they are jealous because of his generosity.

For sure this is dealing with the Jew and Gentile situation. Jesus ushered in a kingdom that was open to everyone and the Jew was accustomed to being God's chosen. (see our OT reading for today) The Jew would see that they had been working for God for generations and the Gentile was given the same reward even though they had just started a relationship with God. So, for sure the Jew was to understand that they were to view the Gentile as an equal partner with them in service to the Father. They were to put aside jealousy and accept the new worker.

So, is there a lesson in this for us today? How about this... you have been a faithful member of the Lord's church since you were a teenager. You have been faithful in attendance and given your offerings every Sunday. You have taught classes and put on VBS programs. You have lived a life in submission to His commands. Now, this Sunday, the local drunk visits your assembly and comes forward and gives his life to Christ. He is immersed and his sins are forgiven. He is 60 years old and has lived a life of depravity, yet he now gets the same reward as you. How you feeling now?

Or, in walks a person who left the church decades ago to live a life of debauchery. He has lived with dozens of women, sold drugs on the street corner and been a frequent resident of the county jail. He comes forward after the lesson and says that he realizes his mistakes and asks for forgiveness and wants to be a member again. How you feeling now?

You see, God wants us to understand that is isn't about time; it's about relationship. When a person becomes His child, at any age, he is His child and therefore an heir of the King. He wants us to see that He is fair and that the reward has to be the same if He is to be fair. If we understand that the reward is life eternal with Him, then whatever the circumstances of someones life, we want them to have the same thing we have. I love to hear of the 80 year old that comes to Jesus and I love to hear of the 16 year old that pledges their life to Him. Both get in on the greatest gift ever given and that is fair.

Of course God wants you to come to Him now, whatever your age is; He will adopt you and put you to work for Him. The blessings start the day you start wearing His name and become part of his kingdom. Do it now!!!