Matthew 20:6-10
Mat 20:6 (KJB)
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and
saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Then the householder went back to the marketplace one more time at 5:00 PM which
was the eleventh hour. (John 11:9 KJV) Jesus answered, Are there not twelve
hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth
the light of this world. There were twelve hours in the workday so he finds
these men standing around idle. Apparently they had just shown up and were
looking for even a partial day’s work and were standing idle. Then the
householder asks them why they are standing around idle? Maybe he had left word
with someone in the marketplace to send any more laborers that come through to
his vineyard and no one showed up and maybe that is why he questioned them and
not the former groups. This brings up a scenario which we see today. The harvest
truly is great but the workers are few and this is evidenced by the fact that
the man had to keep coming back to the marketplace multiple times to find
workers.
Mat 20:7 (KJB)
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also
into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
This group of men had responded stating that no man had hired them. They were
willing and able to work but had no job offers. So the householder tells them to
go into the vineyard and here too, this group is told that they will receive the
compensation which is right, so they went into the vineyard to work for the
final hour of this day.
Mat 20:8 (KJB)
So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the
labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
(Deu 24:15 KJV) At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the
sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry
against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee. According to the law
of Moses, when a person works for someone else, they are to receive their
compensation at the end of the day, not the week. Then the master of the
vineyard tells his steward to begin the payment of the laborers but instead of
starting with those who were first on the job, he was to start with those who
were the last ones to be hired.
Mat 20:9 (KJB)
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every
man a penny.
Then those who were hired at the eleventh hour stepped forward and they received
their wages which was one penny or denarius. They had received what the first
group had agreed upon for their wages.
Mat 20:10 (KJB)
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and
they likewise received every man a penny.
So likewise each group had stepped forward to receive their days wages and then
the first group stepped forth. They had believed that since they had worked the
longest, they should be entitled to more than the other workers. This first
group had forgotten one major thing, they had agreed with the householder for
one penny and no more. Maybe if they would have agreed like the rest of the
workers to accept what is right, then maybe the householder would have given
them a bonus. This is the same situation with those believers who will work for
God but under certain conditions. What they do is limit the blessing of God in
their own lives. Or this is like ministries who sell the gospel in the forms of
books or tapes, so they are limited to the income of the price of the tapes and
books. If they would give them away, then God would bring in more working
capital because there is a faith element here, but the faith element is missing
when a certain price for a book or tape is requested. The reality is that if you
charge $5 for a tape or CD, don’t expect more than $5.