One of the things that this country is famous for is queuing. We’re all guilty of it – we all end up queuing at some point or other. From what I’ve been told, and seen on the news, some people will queue for hours – many many hours – for something they feel is important to them. For example, paying respects to our late queen.
And we’re not happy when people queue jump, are we? Remember the backlash to those two ITV morning television hosts doing it.
Yet here Jesus says the last shall be first and the first will be last. Not only that but He tells us that the workers all received the same pay. Those who only worked for one hour received that same amount as those who worked for the entire day!
If we take this literally, to us, it seems a bit unfair and contrary to our knowledge of God as a fair and generous God.
But! We are not supposed to take this passage literally. It is important to remember that Jesus taught in metaphors and stories. And, Jesus us telling this parable to explain several things:
Jesus uses this parable to further explain what the Kingdom of God is like and to highlight God’s continuing care for His people. He is also highlighting the importance of choosing eternal life with Him over the temptation of worldly wealth whilst teaching His disciples to serve others. Greatness is not ruling over others but serving others. Jesus came to serve – not to be served.
In the Kingdom of God all are treated the same.
Everyone comes to faith (the vineyard) at different times of life.
Some are “lifelong” followers, or disciples, of Jesus. Some find Jesus much later in life.
It is never too late to find faith, belief in Jesus, and to begin living faithfully.
God wants ALL people to have faith in Him and return to a life with Him. Not all do; but that does not mean we should give up. We should continue to persevere, to spread the word, to live by Jesus’s example and plant those mustard seeds to continue to draw others back to Christ.
ALL believers, who repent, no matter how long or how hard they work during this lifetime, will receive the same reward:
- eternal life
- God’s grace
- God’s forgiveness and reconciliation with Him
However, we must be careful not to compare and become envious of others and what we perceive they have been given (thinking they are being given more that they’ve earned).
It is not really possible for us to see what others have experienced as they serve God. We cannot see their inner conflicts or their background struggles. Neither can they fully see ours.
In the end, all of us truly need to trust God and know that all we have is from His grace, which He has freely given.
So, going back to that queue, it doesn’t matter if we are at the front, the back, or in the middle! It doesn’t matter at what age we found Christ. God freely gave us His grace and what matters is that we did find Him. Regardless of where we are in that “queue”, if we turn to Christ, follow Him, reject evil and repent our sins then God forgives us and we are reconciled with Him.
Talk given at Holy Trinity Sheerness and Minster Abbey 24th September 2023 (Matthew 20:1-16).
Just because 