“And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 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’” (Mat. 20:9-12). If you are unfamiliar with the story, I suggest you read Mat. 20:1-16 to understand the context. But if you do not have a Bible handy or know the story but cannot recall it, allow me to summarize it for you.
The parable was in response to Peter’s question in Mat. 19:27, where he asked what reward the disciples would receive for following Jesus. It describes a landowner who hired laborers at different times throughout the day, promising each a denarius, a typical daily wage. He first went out early in the morning, then at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hour. To clarify, that would be 6:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 5:00 PM. It is important that we understand the time the landowner went out because its impact on the story is important. You see, those who were hired last, for possibly an hour or so, received the exact same wage as those who worked a full day.
As can be expected, this led to grumbling among the workers, who believed it was unfair that everyone received the same wage despite some working far less. It would be no different today. I can only imagine the uproar it would cause if that happened. Imagine someone has been cleaning a building for eleven hours when another person is hired. That person only works one hour before they are both called to the manager’s office, and each receives a full day’s wage. Undoubtedly, the initial worker’s grievance would be splashed across social media and elicit a tremendously negative response.
There would possibly be calls to “cancel” the company. Maybe the first worker would even hire a lawyer and try to sue the company. But you know who would be thankful? The second worker. They may have been outside a day laborer station all day, trying to find a job to feed their family. They would not be expecting much, but, as the saying goes, “Something is better than nothing.” I am sure they would be delighted to receive the same wage. Now, while that would seem unfair in real life, the parable reveals a more profound truth about God’s generosity. It challenges our understanding of divine fairness.
The fact that the landowner freely chooses to pay all who worked only a few hours a full day’s wages mirrors God’s grace. It is freely given to all who pursue righteous, Christian living. It cannot be earned, regardless of work or merit. When I was a freshman college student, some friends and I went to the cafeteria to eat. When we were looking for a place to sit, a minister who was visiting the campus sternly told us to find another place. According to him, we had not earned a place at that table, and it was reserved for seniors only. I remember how appalled we were at being treated that way, and it perfectly illustrates the point Jesus was trying to make to Peter.
Merit or status will not give you any advantage before Christ. It does not matter how long you have been a Christian. Whether you were baptized at the tender age of ten or the ripe old age of ninety, equal salvific benefits will be metered out to each without reservation. We would do well to remember that our “Christian age” does not come with automatic benefits in heaven. We may be more spiritually mature, but we don’t deserve special treatment. Another parable worth reading that highlights God’s divine generosity is the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. We are all special, just not “that” special.
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