Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Luke 1-2
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus: The kingdom of heaven is like a wealthy landowner who got up early in the morning and went out, first thing, to hire workers to tend his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a day’s wage for the day’s work. The workers headed to the vineyard while the landowner headed home to deal with some paperwork. About three hours later, he went back to the marketplace. He saw some unemployed men standing around with nothing to do.
Landowner: Do you need some work? Go over to my vineyard and join the crew there. I’ll pay you well.
So off they went to join the crew at the vineyard. About three hours later, and then three hours after that, the landowner went back to the market and saw another crew of men and hired them, too, sending them off to his vineyard and promising to pay them well. Then finally late in the afternoon, at the cusp of night, the landowner walked again through the marketplace, and he saw other workers still standing around.
Landowner: Why have you been standing here all day, doing nothing?
Workers: Because no one has hired us.
Landowner: Well, you should go over to my vineyard and work.
And off the workers went. When quitting time arrived, the landowner called to his foreman.
Landowner: Pay the workers their day’s wages, beginning with the workers I hired most recently and ending with the workers who have been here all day.
So the workers who had been hired just a short while before came to the foreman, and he paid them each a day’s wage. Then other workers who had arrived during the day were paid, each of them a day’s wage. Finally, the workers who’d been toiling since early morning came thinking they’d be paid more, but the foreman paid each of them a day’s wage. As they received their pay, this last group of workers began to protest.
First Workers: We’ve been here since the crack of dawn! And you’re paying us the exact same wage you paid the crew that just showed up. We deserve more than they do. We’ve been slogging in the heat of the sun all day—these others haven’t worked nearly as long as we have!
The landowner heard these protests.
Landowner (to a worker): Friend, no one has been wronged here today. This isn’t about what you deserve. You agreed to work for a day’s wage, did you not? So take your money and go home. I can give my money to whomever I please, and it pleases me to pay everyone the same amount of money. Do you think I don’t have the right to dispose of my money as I wish? Or does my generosity somehow prick at you?
And that is your picture: The last will be first and the first will be last.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Some of you might get a little perturbed at Jesus’ story. He’s talking about heaven being like this landowner and those that get in at the last minute getting the same reward as those that worked for the kingdom all their lives. Does that sound fair? Is that right? Is that justice? Do you want to shake your fist at God and shout at Him for His injustice? That’s what some of those around Jesus wanted to do. But God does what God wants to do. It’s His plan.
I’ve given this a little thought since I read Jesus’ words and began to think about what to put into this devotional. And one of the things these workers didn’t think about and what we don’t think about when we first look at this story is the privilege of being in the kingdom, working for God for longer periods of time, the earlier we come to Him. Sometimes we forget that we enjoy a little taste of heaven here on earth as soon as we invite Him into our heart and give Him lordship over our life.
That’s one of the points of Jesus’ message as He share with people. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. It’s here. You can enjoy it now. Remember His promise that His legacy is peace? It’s not the absence of war between nations Jesus talks about, but the absence of war between God and us. Peace in our heart because He has forgiven our sins and we are right with Him. What is that kind of peace worth? Isn’t living with peace in our heart every day in this life worth something? Isn’t that a just reward for giving our heart to God earlier in life and not living under the guilt and pressure of sin every day of our life until we final say yes to His will?
To live that extra 10 or 20 or 50 years without the guilt of sin, certainly has its own reward. To have the privilege of working in God’s vineyard and feel the joy of watching one more person come to know Him as their Lord carries a priceless value. To be part of building God’s kingdom for the years He allows us to labor for Him cannot be viewed as hard labor in a field with no reward, it has tremendous value in its own right. We just need to stop and remember what God gives us during those extra years He allows us to engage in the work of building His kingdom.
He created us to care for His creation. When we don’t do that, somehow I get the feeling we we just will never be content. But when we work in His fields, building His kingdom, doing the work He plans for us, I think we enjoy that peace only He can give. The internal reward of a job well done. Don’t worry about what the other guy gets. The peace God gives on the journey with Him pays every single moment we live in His presence.
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