AN HOUSEHOLDER … LABOURERS

All three parables of service and reward, the ‘pence’, ‘pounds’, Luke 19, and ‘talents’, Matt. 25, were spoken at different places, to different persons, and for different purposes.

The ‘pence’ was spoken east of Jordan to the disciples as Christ commenced His last journey to Jerusalem, about eight days before Calvary. He was responding to the rich young ruler who was not prepared to sell all and follow Him. Peter’s reaction was, ‘Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?’ The Lord assured Peter that he would be richly rewarded. Then, He added a rider, ‘But many’, not all, ‘that are first shall be last; and the last first’, and repeats it at the end of the parable. Peter was showing a touch of pride, ‘Behold we’, and hankering for position. So this parable reminds us, that, no matter how devoted is our service, all may be spoilt if not accompanied by development of the fruit of the Spirit.

The labourers hired at the beginning of the day murmur against the householder who pays the same wage to those who worked only one hour in the cool of evening. ‘They supposed they should have received more’. But the Lord of the vineyard reminds them, that, in giving rewards, not only is he sovereign - ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?’, v. 15, and righteous - ‘whatsoever is right I will give you’, vv. 4, 7, but also good - ‘Is thine eye evil, because I am good?’, v. 15.

In 1956, five young American missionaries were cruelly murdered on first contact with the Auca Indians of Ecuador. Will they gain less of a reward than those who later completed their work? No! The Lord is not only sovereign, and righteous, but He is good. But those who, despite long, sacrificial labour, fail to produce the fruit of the Spirit, and, like these vineyard labourers, act in a proud, harsh, and unloving way toward their fellow-workers, may find that, despite their ministry, they come not first, but last. Our Lord is sovereign; He chooses for service. He is also good, rewarding ‘an hundredfold’ for faithfulness, long or short. He is righteous too, for ‘many be called, but few chosen’.