16 So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:16 ESV)
6”Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:6–8 (ESV)
The importance of the Parable of Laborers in the Vineyard concerns our perspective in serving the Lord. Believers in Christ must not evaluate the status of service as the world does. In the Lord’s kingdom, the servants who God called last into service may have equal, if not greater, status than those God called first.
The church tends to elevate some individuals to an exalted status. This may be based upon their longevity in ministry, or their influence, reputation, talent or even charisma. Conversely, others who serve in relative obscurity are dismissed as insignificant. This may be done not by explicit words, but in attitude and action by other individuals.
Consider those invited to speak at a pastors’ conference. Who are they? Are they pastors of large churches or leaders of influential organizations? Or, are they pastors who labor alone in small urban, or rural, churches and para-church ministries? You know the answer to these questions as well as I do. Is the church community subtly suggesting to these obscure servants they are not as important or as influential as those of greater notoriety and reputation? May all of us who have ears to hear, let us hear.
“The Lord is not obligated to give anyone grace, let alone the same grace to all people. As the master in his treatment of the laborers was not unjust, God is never unjust. People get what He has promised them. Yet some people get more than others, and since the Lord owes us nothing but wrath, we may never complain about our portion.” — Dr. R. C. Sproul.
“Christ, wishes to show by this parable how it actually is in the kingdom of heaven, or in Christendom upon the earth; that God here directs and works wonderfully by making the first last and the last first. And all is spoken to humble those who are great that they should trust in nothing but the goodness and mercy of God. And on the other hand that those who are nothing should not despair, but trust in the goodness of God just as the others do.” – Martin Luther
“This parable is nothing else than a confirmation of the preceding sentence; “the last shall be first” (Matt. 19:30). It now remains to see in what manner it ought to be applied. Christ does not argue either about the equality of the heaven glory, or about the future condition of the godly. He only declares that those who were first in point of time have no right to boast or to insult others; because the Lord, whenever He pleases, may call those whom He appeared for a time to disregard, and make them equal, or even superior, to the first.” –John Calvin
“This parable has nothing to do with salvation. The denarius (penny), a day’s wages in that time, does not represent salvation, for nobody works for his salvation. Nor is the parable talking about rewards, for we are not all going to receive the same reward. “And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Cor. 3:8). The parable is emphasizing a right attitude in service. 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.” – Warren Wiersbe
“In this parable Jesus is not condemning his audience. He is not taking back anything of the promise found in 19:28, 29. It is exactly in the way of sanctification (2 Thess. 2:13), which includes also heeding this admonition, that the promise of Matt. 19:28, 29 is fulfilled, as are also all the other promises. But neither is he erasing 19:30. On the contrary, he is confirming it in a form suitable to the present parable, so that the reference to the last who become first is now mentioned first, for it was exactly the generosity extended to the last that had aroused the envy of the complainants.” – Dr. William Hendriksen
May we serve, blossom and produce fruit in the vineyard God has sovereignly placed us (Colossians 1:3-6). Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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