the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 3 of 5
Matthew 19:27-30; ; Matthew 20:1-16
This question which preoccupied the disciples so much, to know who would be the first and who the last in the kingdom of heaven, is illustrated by a new parable. We should perhaps be somewhat inclined to take the part of the dissatisfied workers and consider it unjust for the Master to act as he did. But let us look more closely into the story. The early morning workers had come to an agreement with the householder (vv. 2, 13). They valued their work at a particular price. By contrast those who followed had confidence in the master, that he would fix their wages as "whatsoever is just" (vv. 4, 7 JND trans.). They had no reason to regret this. In the kingdom of heaven, the reward is never as of right. All are unprofitable servants according to Luke 17:10 and no one deserves anything. Everything depends on the sovereign grace of God. From a different point of view, the workers of the eleventh hour are, in reality, the least favoured of all. They have missed the opportunity and the joy of serving this good master for the greater part of the day. The Lord Jesus is the best Master. Let us serve Him from our childhood up. He is the One for whom we can never be too early or serve too long.
In the history of the ways of God, the first workers who came to an agreement with the master represent Israel under the dispensation of the covenant; those of the eleventh hour speak to us of the Gentiles, objects of the grace of God.
