After agreeing to pay them the standard day’s wage, he put them to work. Then at nine o’clock, as he was passing through the town square, he found others standing around without work. He told them, ‘Come and work for me in my vineyard and I’ll pay you a fair wage.’ So off they went to join the others. He did the same thing at noon and again at three o’clock, making the same arrangement as he did with the others. “Hoping to finish his harvest that day, he went to the town square again at five o’clock and found more who were idle. So he said to them, ‘Why have you been here all day without work?’ “ ‘Because no one hired us,’ they answered. “So he said to them, ‘Then go and join my crew and work in my vineyard.’
— Matthew 20:2-7 (TPT)
Verse 1 which we read last week is Jesus saying this story is going to show us how the Kingdom of Heaven works. It does not show us how to run a business nor does it follow natural reasoning. The vineyard owner is Jesus and those listening understood that.
Jesus goes out all day hiring people to come and join Him in His venture. They didn’t have regular jobs but went to the market place early in the morning when the owners and foremen came to choose people to hire for the day. Their livelihood depended on being hired.
Once they were hired, they entered into the plan, dreams and purpose of the one who hired them. Whatever the land owner had in mind for the day, the workers fell in line with it.
It is interesting to note the word “agreeing” in verse 2. The first workers agreed on a certain wage. Evidently, there was some debate as to what that should be. They wanted a guarantee to be sure they got a certain amount because they didn’t trust the landowner.
Now the rest of the hired workers didn’t ask for a certain wage. The owner said he would pay what was right and fair at the end of the day and they trusted him to do what he said. There was no debate about it because they believed him.
Wages are when the worker gives himself in exchange for cash. Wages are your very self turned into dollars and cents. You give your strength, brain and self in exchange for monetary wages. We see with the workers hired later, the owner is not paying an “agreed” upon amount. Instead they are accepting what he says as fair.
This story is strange because he is hiring people without predetermined wages throughout the day. Jesus is demonstrating how the Kingdom of God works and we will look more at this next week.
It is the same with us, Jesus goes into the market place and calls your name. He wants you to join His dream and purpose. Why? So He can bless you. God who is more than fair, generous and kind wants to provide for you in all ways. He is Good!
“Look and see how God will reveal Himself today”
He Delights To Care For You