Laboring in the Kingdom
Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler seemingly led Peter to comment that he and the rest of the twelve had left all to follow Christ and wondered what reward they would receive. Jesus’ immediate response was to speak of the time of the new birth, or regeneration, when he would be on his throne. He said the twelve would also rule at that time over the twelve tribes, or spiritual Israel (Matthew 19:23-30).
They reign with Christ by reporting his will to men. They rule now through the writings they left behind. All who sacrifice for Jesus will be rewarded. Those who have sacrificed family will gain a greater spiritual family. Those telling Jesus his mother and brothers were outside heard, “Here are My mother and My brothers!" (Matthew 12:49). The Christian views life in terms of a temporary time on earth followed by eternity (1 Timothy 4:8).
A vineyard owner went out to find workers at the start of a day. They were hired for one coin. More men were hired at nine, noon, three and five. Each of these latter went, trusting the owner to give them a fair wage. The landowner went out repeatedly to seek laborers, because the work was ongoing just like that of the kingdom. The landowner was still hiring workers at the eleventh hour of a twelve hour work day.
Payment had to be made at day’s end (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:15). The owner lined the workers up with the last hired first and the first hired last. Not one complaint was heard from those who trusted the master to pay a fair price. Each received a day’s wage for less than a day’s work. Those who worked the whole day were upset after receiving that for which they bargained. They felt they deserved more, especially compared to those hired at the eleventh hour!
No one had any justification in complaining. The lord’s money was his to dispense as he pleased. Yet, some seemed to have been stirred to jealousy (Matthew 20:1-16). As Lightfoot says, "They simply begrudged the owner’s generosity. They murmured not because the lord had deprived them, but because he had been so merciful to the others.”
Jealousy is a sin of the heart, corrupting from within (Mark 7:15-23). "A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him" (Prov. 28:22). Moses’ law required debts to be forgiven in the seventh year. Some might have been jealous of the money they would lose by loaning money to a poor man in the sixth or seventh years, knowing they would have to forgive whatever remained unpaid. God told them not to be jealous and promised to bless them for the good they did (Deuteronomy 15:7-11).
Jesus seemed to be stressing the importance of the heart in working for God. Some worked to get what they deserved. The rest labored knowing they would not work a full day and trusting in the one who hired them to give them a fair wage. Notice, the men hired at the eleventh hour, when questioned as to why they had been standing idle all day, said, "Because no one hired us." Clearly, they had a willingness to work, but no opportunity.
We can work for the Lord today. Our labor is done because it is our duty. No one can truthfully demand eternal life when we stand at the judgment bar. Instead, we need to exhibit a willingness to work and trust in the Lord to give us a reward far better than we deserve (Matthew 7:21; Romans 6:23).
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