Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out
early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After
agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into
his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others
standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, `You go
into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So
they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth
hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out
and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand
here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired
us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.' 8 And when
evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call
the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up
to the first.' 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour
came, each of them received a denarius.
10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more;
but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it
they grumbled at the householder, 12 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.' 13 But he replied
to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not
agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go;
I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not
allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you
begrudge my generosity?' 16 So the last will be first, and the
first last."
Meditation: What can work and wages, welfare and the
unemployed tell us about the kingdom of God? In the parable of the
laborers in the vineyard we see the extraordinary generosity and
compassion of God (Matthew 20:1-16). There is great tragedy in
unemployment, the loss of work, and the inability to earn enough
to live and support oneself or one's family. In Jesus' times
laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone
hired them for a day's job. No work that day usually meant no food
on the family table. The laborers who worked all day and received
their payment complain that the master pays the late afternoon
laborers the same wage. The master, undoubtedly, hired them in the
late afternoon so they wouldn't go home payless and hungry.
God is generous and gives us work for his kingdom
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who
will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and
those who come at the last hour. While the reward is the same, the
motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only
for reward. They will only put in as much effort as they think
they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the
opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each
one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to
serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.
Empowered to serve with a joyful and generous spirit
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and
strength of the Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's
kingdom (the fruit of peace, joy, righteousness, and love) and
also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our neighbor as well. We
labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory. And we
labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of
loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.
Paul the Apostle reminds us, "Whatever your task, work heartily,
as serving the Lord and not others, knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the inheritance as your reward - you are serving the
Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24). Do you perform your daily tasks
and responsibilities with cheerfulness and diligence for the
Lord's sake? And do you give generously to others, especially to
those in need of your care and support?
"Lord Jesus,fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may serve you
joyfully and serve my neighbor willingly with a generous heart,
not looking for how much I can get, but rather looking for how
much I can give."
Psalm 21:1-7
1 In your strength the king rejoices, O LORD;
and in your help how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart's desire, and has not withheld the
request of his lips. [Selah]
3 For you meet him with goodly blessings; you set a crown of fine
gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days for
ever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you
bestow upon him.
6 Yes, you make him most blessed for ever; you make him glad with
the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD; and
through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ our
householder, author unknown, from the 5th century A.D.
"The householder [in Matthew's parable - chapter 20] is Christ,
to whom the heavens and the earth are like a single house; the
family is as it were the multitude of creatures both angelic and
earthly. It is as if he built a three-storied house: hell, heaven
and earth, so that those struggling may live upon the earth, those
conquered below the earth, those conquering in heaven. We too, set
in the middle, should strive not to descend to those who are in
hell but ascend to those who are in heaven. And in case perhaps
you do not know which one you ought to shun or which one you ought
to aspire to, he has given you as it were a little taste of both
while you live between light and darkness: night as a taste of
hell, daylight as a taste of heaven." (excerpt from an
incomplete Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY 34)
Meditations may be freely reprinted for
non-commercial use - please cite:
copyright (c) 2016 Servants of the Word, source:
www.dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager
Scripture quotations from Common Bible:
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright
1973, and Ignatius Edition of the Revised Standard
Version of the Bible, copyright 2006, by the
Division of Christian Education of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the United
States of America. Used by permission. All rights
reserved. Citation references for quotes from
the writings of the early church fathers can be
found here.
The post Wednesday (August 17): “Do you begrudge my generosity?” appeared first on The Sword of the Spirit.