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1For the kingdom of Heaven is like a man,
a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.
2And when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a
day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3And he went out about the third hour and saw others
standing idle in the marketplace.
4And he said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and
whatever is right I will give you. And they went.
5And he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did
likewise.
6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others
standing idle, and said to them, Why do you stand here all day idle?
7They said to him, Because no one has hired us. He said to
them, You also go into the vineyard, and you shall receive whatever is right.
8So when evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to
his steward, Call the laborers and pay them their wage, beginning from the last to
the first.
9And when they who were hired about the eleventh hour came,
they each one received a denarius.
10But when the first came, they supposed that they would
received more; and they also each one received a denarius.
11And receiving it they murmured against the master of the
house,
12saying, These last have worked only one hour, and you
have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I do you no
wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14Take yours, and go; I will give to this last one the same
as to you.
15Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own?
Is your eye evil because I am good?
16So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many
are called, but few are chosen.
MKJV |
- Jesus likens this parable to the kingdom of Heaven, as a man who goes out and is speaking
metaphorically of God the Father. His message is that, God is good and generous, all that
labor for Him will be given the same foundational reward of the kingdom of God, regardless
of time and labors.
- The land owner hired a first group of labors to work in his vineyard and then over the day
goes out four more times, at the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 11th hour, to hire more labors.
He specificity paid the labors who were hired last, first, the same amount that was
negotiated with the first hired. Doing this gave opportunity for they who were hired first
to take offence and they did just that.
- In this fallen world the the opportunity to take an offence will come, Jesus spoke of that,
Matthew 18:7. Some offenses are direct, in this case the offence was
preconceived by the labors. But no matter how the offence comes, it is always our choice
if we are going to take it or not.
- God has given us free-will over our thoughts, we can cast down every thought that exalts itself
against Christ Jesus, 2nd Corinthians 10:5, this also
applies to choosing to take the offence. Rather than taking an offence and going away hurt,
we can choose to overlook it, forgive the other and perhaps even pray for the other person.
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