“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 20:16)
In the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, Jesus further clarified the membership rules of the Kingdom of heaven…entrance is by grace alone. In chapter nineteen, Jesus has turned the world’s values upside down. He gave the proper perspective to marriage and divorce, proper use of money and rewards for service. In this parable in chapter 20, God is the householder, and believers are the laborers. This parable is especially for those who feel superior because of heritage or favored position, for those who feel superior because they have spent too much time with Christ and for new believers as reassurance of God’s grace.
This parable is not about rewards, but about salvation. It is a masterful teaching about grace, God’s generosity. (For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Ephesians 2:8)
We should not begrudge those who turn to God in the last moments of life, because in reality, no one deserves eternal life. Thank God for His Grace. Whether one has wrought but one hour or hast borne the burden and heat of the day, the gracious generosity of God provides acceptance of all. Many people we don’t expect to see in the Kingdom will be there. The thief who repented as he was dying (Luke 23:40-43) will be there along with people who have believed and served God for many years.
Thank God for His graciousness and His inclusion.
Pastor J. Amos Jones
