About half of Matthew 19 concerns rewards for following Jesus. Jesus does not deny the fact of rewards, but he does put his own spin on them.
As we examine Matthew 19, we discover that children, who held little value in their society, are honored by Jesus with his blessing (verses 13-15).
A wealthy young man approaches Jesus, believing that he contributes something to God’s kingdom. When Jesus asks him to relinquish it, the man leaves in sorrow because he is unwilling to part with his possessions (verses 16-22).
The disciples inquire about the rewards they would receive for following Jesus (verses 27-30), only to hear a penetrating parable in response.
Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
“After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard” (Matthew 20.1-2).
As the parable progressed, the landowner continued hiring employees. He hired some at 9 o’clock, then at noon, 3 o’clock, 5 o’clock, and finally at the end of the day.
The issue regarding the reward for service reached its pinnacle in the parable when the landowner had his steward begin paying the workers.
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’
When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received a denarius.
Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat'” (Matthew 20.8-12).
The parable put Peter’s earlier question to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” (Matthew 19.27), in perspective.
Peter was the spokesman for the other disciples who had left their work and homes to follow Jesus. They had been traveling with him for nearly three years. During that time, they had many fantastic experiences but also experienced tremendous opposition from the religious leaders.
It’s legitimate for them to ask, “What’s our reward?” and expect a larger reward than someone who came to work later.
In today’s world, it is easy to anticipate that people who have suffered tremendously for their faith will receive a greater reward than those who have slipped through life serving Jesus with little cost. If it doesn’t turn out that way, we may question God’s justice.
The Rationale for Rewards
Jesus doesn’t calculate rewards as we do. As he continues the parable, we begin to understand his logic.
“But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
“Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.
“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 21.13-16).
The first thing that strikes me in this parable is the freedom the master had with his possessions. Who are we to question what God does with his love?
Our concern with rewards demonstrates our lack of understanding of God’s nature.
The question – “Are you envious because I am generous?” – reaches the heart of the issue. Do we calculate what God owes us due to our good deeds, or do we rely completely on His grace?
One of my favorite definitions of evangelism is “one beggar telling another beggar where the bread is.”
At the end of the day, we are nothing more than beggars in God’s kingdom who receive freely from His grace only to give it to others.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 