What is the meaning of the passage of the laborers of the vine? (Part 3).

[so-jesus-e-deus]

What is the meaning of the passage of the laborers of the vine? (Part 3).

Next, he went to pay each one, starting for the last.

• Mat 20:8 -> “And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’”.

Why did he act like this?

Because, as it was said formerly, he delighted in gracing, first, those who have more esteem in doing what is good.

You can ask: “why the last workers had more disposition in working”?”.

Understand! When the owner went out to hire laborers, why did he find only a little group at first? Where were the others?

Well, certainly, they weren’t vagabonds. Otherwise, they would stay at house or in a revelry. It’s doable that they tried to find work in other farms while they were going toward the market place. After all, the distance of the marketplace until the house of each one varied. It was more convenient to find service close to their house.

The workers of the last hour spent all their day trying to find a work. They only went to the market place when there wasn’t any more option remainer. They could go to their houses earlier after a frustrating day. But no! They stayed full of expectance that, even for one hour, they could be useful for someone.

Note that the owner made no promise to them. Besides, what could they expect in receiving for working for such a short time? Nonetheless, for them what was important is the privilege of going to their home knowing that they could be a blessing, even if for few moments.

The other laborers, although were ready to work, desist of searching for a service earlier.

To be clearer: when each laborer arrived at the marketplace and didn’t find anybody to hire them, they went to the closer farms to find service instead of staying idle in the market place, waiting someone go there to hire them.

Therefore, the owner found each laborer only when they desisted to find a service. So:

• The laborers of the third hour desisted early;
• The laborers of the sixth hour delayed a bit more until desisting;
• The laborers of the ninth hour only gave up after 9 hours of searching.
• The laborers of the last hour, even in the last moment, didn’t lose their hope.

Hence the owner paid starting from the last to the first. The later was the time that the owner delayed to find these workers in the market place, the greater was their effort in order to find work.

Have a good day being the first in serving and the last in expecting reward and, certainly, not only you will be blessed, but will be a blessing while hoping in Jesus’ justice.

Tomorrow we will keep on.

 

[arthurfleminger]

I believe that the parable of 'The Workers in the Vineyard' has a very clear meaning, unmistakable.

Jesus’ parables pertain to all people throughout time, they apply to you and me. One parable that Jesus told surely applies to me and most likely to all of us.

Jesus likened the Kingdom of heaven to a landowner who went out early to hire workers for his vineyard. The owner agreed to pay them the normal daily wage and set them to work. At nine o’clock in the morning, the owner passed through the marketplace and saw more people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them. At noon, three o’clock, and even at five o’clock, he went out and hired more workers.

That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. Those hired at 9 o’clock, noon, 3o’clock, and even 5 o’clock each received a full day’s wage.

When those hired at the start of the day came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they too were paid a day’s wage, the same as the rest had received. And they grumbled to the owner, those people only worked for one hour and yet you paid them as much as you paid us. That’s not right! That’s not fair!

The landowner answered them, I haven’t been unfair. You agreed to work all day for the usual wage? I wanted to pay the last workers the same as you. Am I not free to do as I will, with my money? Are you angry because I am kind and generous to others?

In this parable, the landowner represents God, and the laborers represent those who live lives of faith as part of God’s kingdom, and the payment received represents God’s gift of salvation and eternal life in heaven with all it's rewards.

This parable shows the tremendous compassion and generosity that God has for all people. We are reminded that God searches for us throughout our lives, just as the landowner searched for laborers throughout the day.

This parable applies to me. I left God and Christianity for a period of about 25 years in my life, in search for the things of the world (prodical son). But I returned, and now I have the same hope for the same salvation as those who never left. Many others also have left Jesus for long periods of their lives or never found Jesus until the end of their lives (deathbed conversion).

All of us can have faith and hope that by returning to Jesus we too, can obtain His salvation. And don't be envious of those who find God, Jesus, and salvation late in life. GOD IS GENEROUS WITH HIS LOVE AND SALVATION!!!!!!!