Dear Christian friends:

Union employees very often are striking and want more money for their work or services. Often we read in the newspapers and see on TV about strikes. Wages are a problem in our world.

Also for the Christian steward who works for God and serves God, "wages" can be a problem. The rich young man had that problem. Jesus offered him work and good wages, "Follow Me, and you will have treasure in heaven," (Matthew 19:21), but he complained and refused to work for Jesus. Peter also had that problem. He worried and asked Jesus what he and the other disciples would receive for their special service to Him. (Matthew 19:27) We, too, often wonder about our "wages". We follow Jesus and serve him. What will we get?

In this parable about the workers in the vineyard, Jesus answers our questions about "the wages."


In this parable Jesus reminds us that God's wages in the kingdom are based on grace, and not law.

God's pay scale contradicts our ideas about wages. We think that those who work the hardest and longest should receive the most wages. Our wages are based on what is right and fair and according to the law. But the lord of the vineyard paid each man the same, no matter if he worked nine hours or six hours or three hours or one hour. Each one received the same wages, "one denarius." (verse 10). The lord of the vineyard did not pay on the basis of time or law, but on the basis of grace.

When those men who worked all day, nine hours complained, the lord asked them, "Are you jealous because I am good? (verse 15) God's wages to us who serve Him are based on His goodness, His grace, not on what we earn! What God gives us we have not earned. He gives it to us because He is good and kind and shows mercy to us. St. Paul writes, "In the ages to come He can show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness to us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:7-10) Forgiveness of sins, faith, new eternal life, and all blessings both what we need for our body and what we need for our soul are gifts of His grace.

None of us deserves salvation or eternal life or even bread and water. We really deserve God's anger and eternal punishment in hell forever because we are sinners and daily sin much. But because of His grace in Jesus, God forgives us and blesses us with all earthly and heavenly blessings and makes us able and eager to serve Him.

Therefore, we should never complain if God seems to bless one person more than another. We should not feel jealous of someone else like those workers in the vineyard who worked all day. They felt jealous of those who worked only six hours or three hours or one hour. Also, Peter and the other disciples thought they should get more "wages" than others who were not serving as much as they did. Often we are like Peter and these workers who worked all day in the vineyard. We complain about other church members who do not volunteer to serve and work as much as we do. We sometimes compare our offerings with others' offerings and complain when they do not give as much as we do. Or if one Christian who seems weak has good health and good times, we feel jealous because we are sick or dying and no good times, and we feel God should bless us more than the other person. Our jealousy shows or proves that we are still under law and not under grace as we should be.

God's wages are uniformly high, much, much more than we deserve. Jesus told Peter and the other disciples that they will receive one hundred times more than they deserve. (Matthew 19:29) Notice how good and kind God is! Even those who work and serve one hour will receive as much "wages" as those who work all day! Even if you have worked and served the Lord for 50 years, you should not be jealous of another who serves the Lord only one year! True, he/she may get the same "wages" as you or more, don't be jealous, be happy for him/her and rejoice! Our Lord is good!

You should rejoice that you had the honor and pleasure to serve your dear Lord for 50 years. Serving God is a great honor, not a boring duty. There is no better life, than to be a steward of God, working and sweating and suffering in His Vineyard. We love Him and serve Him because He first loved us and served us in Jesus.

(Acts 5:40-41)
The Council accepted his advice, called in the apostles, had them beaten, and then told them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and finally let them go. They left the Council chamber rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for his name.

In our text, Jesus says, "So the last shall be first, and the first last. (verse 16) Jesus, who is the first and best of all men, on the cross became the "last" and worst man of all for us, that we who are really "last" and worst might become "first." And Paul explains Jesus' death on the cross in this way. "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)

The wages in God's kingdom are "good." Don't strike! Serve the Lord with gladness!

Amen.