Matthew 20 -- Shifting The Focus Off Ourselves

My commentary fleshed out some things about the parable of the vineyard workers that I might have instinctively known but never thought about before. 

 

“The parable is emphasizing a right attitude in service … the first laborers hired insisted on a contract.  There were two types of workers that day – the ones who wanted a contract … and those who agreed to take whatever the owner thought was right… This explains why the owner paid the workers in the order that he did.  He wanted those who were hired first to see how much he paid the workers who were hired later.  It was one way the owner could show those workers how really generous he was.”

 

Seeing the last-hired workers getting one coin, those first-hired workers began to do the math and determined that they would likely be (unexpectedly) getting twelve times that, based on hours worked!  Their hourly wage expectations quickly lowered with each successive worker group getting paid the same.

 

“They had agreed to work for one coin.  They received what they asked for.  Had they trusted the goodness of the owner, they would have received far more.  BUT THEY INSISTED ON A CONTRACT.  The lesson for Christ’s disciples is obvious.  We should not serve Him because we want to receive an expected reward, and we should not insist on knowing what we will get.  God is infinitely generous and gracious and will always give us better than we deserve.”

 

Father, You always amaze me with how generous You are.  Please continue to help me remember to trust You, knowing that You do give us far more than we will ever deserve!

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford