Matthew 20:8-16 Payday

Matthew 20:8-16

20:8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ 9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. 10 When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.”

When it came time to pay his vineyard workers, the landowner gave what he had promised all of them. He gave each grape picker a denarius, which is Roman silver coin whose  value is about 10 notes. That is the payment he offered each person when he went around asking will you work in my vineyard for a day’s wage of a denarius.

Matthew 20:2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Three more times the landowner went out looking for more workers and every time he offered them a denarius silver Roman coin worth 10 units. Each time the workers agree to that payment agreement. After a long day of labor for some and only a few hours for others, some of the workers who worked a full day complained. Picking grapes from a vine is normally done in warmer climates, they just don’t grow in low temperate weather. It doesn’t take much for myself to get a little uncomfortable when it is normally warmer, but my desire to make money keeps me working. I can  very easily put myself in with the workers who worked all day and got the same 10 unit silver coin like everyone else. But the landowner made clear, I made the same payment arrangement for all workers from the beginning of this day all the way to sundown. Cause I want my pay for giving up most of the day to a job and I see someone getting the same payment, but my employer told me, you accepted the same payment I offered to all. The land owner  reasoned with his grape picker and they put up no protest and took their 10 units silver roman coins home. All the workers for the Lord, who did their part in preaching, teaching, healing abilities , being hospitable, or any kind of work for God and share His message of God, will receive the same payment . When judgement day comes and all the workers of God’s kingdom want the due payment, He will gladly give the same reward He offered at the beginning of time, to all who did as He asked and did wonderful work in His name. Samuel J Head

Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”