A Parable of Hope
“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work." Matthew 20:1-2
“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
"At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.
“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
“They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’
“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
One of my favorite stories told by Jesus in the Holy Bible is the Parable of the Vineyard Workers in the 20th Chapter of Matthew. It is a beautiful story of hope for the hopeless, and a reminder that as long as you're still living on this earth, it isn't too late and you're not too old or too far gone to know the joy of a personal relationship with Jesus.
The parable reads like this, in Matthew 20:1-16:
"At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.
“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
“They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’
“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
This parable of Jesus offers so very much hope.
I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior at the age of 5, but this story tells us that even if you accept Jesus at 105, who's to say you won't have an equal or even greater reward for serving working in His Kingdom?
It's one of the things that fills my heart with so much joy--that our God is oh, so good--far beyond the world's concept of good, generous, loving and kind.
I don't know where you are today, but maybe the Holy Spirit has been tugging on your heart to commit your life to Jesus. And just maybe you've resisted, discouraged, thinking it's too late for you, you're too old, too set in your ways, or any number of other excuses. I'm here to tell you that none of those things is/are true. You're never too old or broken for Jesus to meet you right where you are.
Perhaps you don't know what your life would look like if you turned it over to Jesus. There is good news about that, too. Jesus takes care of all the details--little and big. He simply wants us to turn our life over to Him, admitting we're sinners and that we want to change course, repent of sin and follow Him.
If you haven't chosen to serve Jesus, won't you do it today?
Dear Father in Heaven,
I confess to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins. I ask that You would please forgive me of my sins. I know that You alone can save me.
I believe that You sent Your one and only son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins.
Please come into my heart, Lord, and change me. I want to be new. Make me new, Heavenly Father.
I commit my heart and life to You. Teach me Your ways, and help me to follow You all the days of my life. I make my heart Your dwelling place. Live in me and through me always.
Thank You for saving my soul to be in Heaven with You.
AMEN.
May you have the best day you've ever had in your life.
Dear Father in Heaven,
I confess to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins. I ask that You would please forgive me of my sins. I know that You alone can save me.
I believe that You sent Your one and only son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins.
Please come into my heart, Lord, and change me. I want to be new. Make me new, Heavenly Father.
I commit my heart and life to You. Teach me Your ways, and help me to follow You all the days of my life. I make my heart Your dwelling place. Live in me and through me always.
Thank You for saving my soul to be in Heaven with You.
AMEN.
May you have the best day you've ever had in your life.
Comments
Your web site offered us with valuable info to work
on. You have done an impressive job and our whole community will be thankful to
you.