Dallas Willard describes the Kingdom of God as “the effective reach of God’s power.”
What occurs when individuals willingly surrender their control and choose to align their lives with God’s direction and guidance?
Jesus tells His followers this is what God’s kingdom is like: “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).
Serving the Lord requires effort and sometimes involves a significant amount of labor. It’s not merely about God fulfilling all our desires and ultimately giving us a mansion in heaven.
There is a reward. God does not expect us to labor for Him without any benefit. This parable highlights the rewards bestowed upon those who willingly relinquish their own will and choose to follow the guidance of the King of all kings.
More Laborers and Final Payment
In the parable, the king wanted more laborers, so he went into the marketplace to hire people at 9 o’clock, noon, 3 o’clock, and finally at 5 o’clock, just before quitting time.
The final payment became a problem and a source of complaint for some of the laborers.
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).
I expect you have had a similar experience to mine. We’ve encountered individuals who have dedicated their lives to God at various points in their lives. Some embraced their faith as children, others during their teenage years, and some even later in life.
Here’s the good news. God has a reward to everyone regardless of when they became one of His laborers.
Think About It
Jesus used parables to encourage deeper reflection on concepts that might otherwise be overlooked. This principle applies to the parable illustrating His reign, particularly within the context of individuals who come to Him at diverse stages of their lives.
“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 20.13-16).
There are a couple of great points in this response. First, God is allowed to do anything he wants with what belongs to him. We are not the judge of who He chooses to bless.
Second, we should not be envious because God is generous. Instead, we should rejoice with all our hearts.
The third thought involves a story. I met a man and helped him meet Jesus as a Savior in his 70s. He was dying from cancer and didn’t think he’d have long to live.
He lived a while after he met the Lord. I met with him a couple of other times, and he told me, “I wish I had done this sooner.”
I came to the Lord in my teenage years, and I’m so grateful that I came to him sooner. The labor is real, but the reward throughout all of life is also real.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 