TEXT: MATTHEW 20:11 KJV
[11] And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Discussion
Today, we shall do a brief study of the parable Jesus gave about the man who hired labourers to work in his vineyard. This is one of those parables I really struggle to understand, but thank God for the Holy Spirit, who opens our minds to the message behind a story rather than allowing us to read the story from a human perspective.
The man hired labourers to work in his vineyard, hiring some at 6 a.m., some at 9 a.m., some at 12 noon, some at 3 p.m., and the final set at 5 p.m. He only agreed with the first set to pay them a penny for the day. They were happy with the agreement, but he did not make the same agreement with the others; he only told them that he would pay them whatever was right.
However, by the time they had all finished work at 6 p.m., the man paid everyone the same wage. This became a big problem for those who had worked a 12-hour shift compared to those who had worked for only one hour. So, they murmured against the owner of the vineyard, saying that they should be paid more than the rest. But the owner told them that he could do whatever he wanted with his money.
If we put ourselves in their shoes, we may understand why they felt this way. If you work for many hours and someone who worked for only a short time gets paid the same amount, it may seem unfair to receive the same pay.
One of the messages in this parable is that, in the Kingdom, we must focus on our own assignment and not on other people’s assignments. The murmuring started when they began to consider what other people were being paid. As a result of their murmuring, the first became the last, and the last became the first (v. 16).
Many times, we look at what God has given to others but fail to see anything good in what God has given to us. When we do this, it can lead to ingratitude and eventually make us say things to God that we are not meant to say.
This can happen when we hear other people’s testimonies. We may begin to think or say that God has done nothing for us. We fail to see the blessing in our own “penny” because we are focused on other people’s blessings. In doing so, we ignore what God has done and what He is still doing for us.
Let us make up our minds today to focus on our own assignments and blessings and to appreciate whatever God gives us. At the same time, let us help the people God brings our way to the best of our ability.
As we do this, the great rewarder shall surely reward us of our good works in Jesus’ name. God bless you!
Declarations:
I shall focus on what God as called me to do. I shall appreciate God for His blessings and I shall be a blessing to many others in Jesus name.
Light Up Christian Fellowship
