Earning Pennies

"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard"

How many of you have ever felt like you haven't been paid enough for the work that you have done. I know I sure as heck have. I know that I often get into the mind set that I deserve more than I get. I get frustrated with people when I feel that they are not pulling their weight, and they mooch off of my extra effort.

I absolutely love that Christ teaches in parables in the New Testament. They are easy to remember, easy to relate to, and are spoken so eloquently. For me the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard has taught me the most about Christ's doctrine, and at the same time is the parable that I have the hardest time accepting.

The parable starts with a man leaving early to hire laborers to work in his vineyard. He had agreed to pay the laborers a penny a day. He sent the laborers out into the vineyard. Three hours later he went into the marketplace where he saw others standing idle. He said to them, "Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you." They went their way to the vineyard and began to work. The sixth and ninth hour of the day he went to the marketplace again and hired more laborers. At the eleventh hour he went to the marketplace again and saw others standing idle. He asked them "why stand ye here all the day idle?" they said to him "because no man hath hired us." He said to them "Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive." When the day came to the end, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward "call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first." All of the laborers came and lined up to get paid. The laborers that came the eleventh hour received a penny. The laborers that came came the ninth and sixth hour received a penny. When the laborers that started in the early morning came, they supposed that they should be payed more. When they received their one penny they complained against the man of the house saying, "these last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day."

At this point in the scripture I get kind of frustrated. If I was the laborer that had worked sun up till sun down, I would be pretty upset that the guy who decided to show up the last hour got paid the exact amount that I did, when I did all of the heavy lifting. I guess that's just my selfish side talking. However, before you get too frustrated along with me, read what the Lord of the Vineyard has to say to people who feel like we do:

Matthew 20:13 "Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst not thou agree with me for a penny?" First of all, I automatically love any scripture where Christ calls us his friend. We have all been told exactly what we are going to get paid for our work; eternal life. How can we argue for more? We came to this Earth knowing exactly what we would get paid.

14:  "Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee." Christ tells us to take what he has given us and go our way. He's going to give everyone the same that we get. He is telling us not to worry about what everyone else is getting. Worry about what you yourself are giving. Thinking that we deserve more is a pretty selfish way to think. How can we think that we need more recognition than anyone else who showed up. How can you really have more eternity?

15: "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" Do you trust the Lord? Do you trust that he has a plan for every single one of us? It's hard sometimes to trust, because we don't see the big picture. We have to have faith and believe that we will be paid for our work. Verse 4 says "whatsoever is right, I will give you." Trust that the Lord is looking after you, and taking care of you. At first, reading "is thine eye evil" kind of threw me off and I couldn't understand what was being taught here. However, after discussing it with my husband, I believe that this is one of the key parts of the scripture. Christ is asking them if they are upset because the laborers are being granted eternal life? How could we be upset that someone is receiving eternal life just because they showed up a little later than you did. I get bitter sometimes and secretly hope that some people have the worst day of their life just because I don't necessarily get along with them. That is such a poisonous state of mind to be in, and something that I am constantly working on. Having even a glimpse at how amazing eternal life is going to be, I wish everyone to have it; even my worst enemies.

16: "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called but few chosen." No one is more important than any other person. The very last person that showed up to work is just as worthy and deserving of eternal life and celestial glory as the very first person who showed up to work. Enough Said.

Why are we in the vineyard? Are we there to get our fair penny, or are we there to serve and build the Kingdom of God? What are our motives for working in the vineyard?

How lucky we are to have a Savior who is willing to pay the last person the same as the first? I know for a fact that I have not always been the first person to work in the morning. I get lazy, and lose my focus. I complain occasionally about the work that is to be done, however I know that there is work to be done. I know without a doubt in my heart, our Savior is merciful. I know that if we work the long days to the best of our abilities, we will be rewarded beyond measure. I am grateful for this parable and for the humility it teaches me. My Savior is full of grace, and I know because of him and only him I will be able to have eternal life. "Yea , I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold many mighty miracle we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." The beautiful thing is that I could be the very first person to the vineyard every morning, but without my Savior Jesus Christ I could never earn even one penny.

     Sincerely,