Workers in the Vineyard

Matt. 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house 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 marketplace, 4 and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' 5 So they went. 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 foreman, '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 those hired 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 master of the house, 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 worker 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."

Last night 5 people were baptized at our church. Normally there are quite a few younger kids, but this time there were some more mature people.

God is amazing how He allows some to see the truth of His Word and moves them in repentance at an early age, and others He allows to go a long time w/o true repentance. The younger ones should not grumble that they have HAD to work all these years while the elder people were going along in sin. The younger should be thrilled that God spared them from so many evil things.

God's gift of eternal life is free to all and it is the same to all. Whether you come to true repentance when you are 6 of 96, God saves those He wants to save and He gives the Prize to all equally.

Let us not despise the kindness of the Lord toward others, but rejoice in their salvation, and ours.