Matthew 20:12 They protested, ‘Those fellows worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as those of us who worked all day in the scorching heat. [Living Bible translation]
SUMMARY:
Parables are simple stories, told by JESUS in the gospels, to illustrate a moral or spiritual point. A parable is a lesson. They often use simple everyday objects or illustrations to convey a point. There are a number of parables in the Bible. However, “The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard,” in Matthew 20 may be one of the most difficult parables to understand. Part of the reason may be because workers do not understand or want to experience “the scorching heat.”
The basic story is this. The owner of an estate goes out early to hire workers for his harvest field. He agrees to pay each of the workers $20 per day (the equivalent of a day’s labor in modern times). He sees some men standing idle in the marketplace early in the morning and hires them. Around 3:00 pm in the afternoon he sees another group and hires them. Around 5:00 pm he sees more workers standing around and after speaking to them about the wages, the men agree to work in the fields too for the same wages. At the end of scorching hot work day, the owner asks the paymaster to call all the workers in and they are each given $20. Some of the worker’s protest. The ones who worked longer hours complain that they worked a full day in the heat and were paid the same wages as those who just worked one hour.
Perhaps one of the reasons why this parable is misunderstood or people do not “relate” to this parable or feel as if some sense of justice has been violated, may be because of all the feelings and attitudes people often have about the workplace. In the workplace:
- Workers think they “deserve” to be paid for their work and that the employer “owes” them for working
- When a worker looks at another co-worker, who is doing the exact same work they are doing, they don’t want to see that their co-worker’s check is disproportionately higher than their own. They also think a worker who works more hours than another worker, doing the same work, should get a larger paycheck.
- The workplace is often a competitive place. People are often concerned about what other workers are paid, which can lead to envy and divisiveness.
- Sometimes workers even separate what they do at work from what they do for GOD.
To understand the “Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard,” it is helpful to understand a little about the meaning of the situation JESUS is describing in the parable.
- The workers “standing idly by” are in a sinful state. The “marketplace” is “the world.” They are in the world “lost in sin.” They are separated from GOD. They could have been left in the world, but for the GRACE and MERCY of GOD. GOD finds them and allowed them to work for HIM
- If GOD gives GRACE and MERCY to some early and to some late, that is not “an injustice” to anyone, because GOD does not owe anyone.
- Instead of being envious or concerned about what other’s get, every worker for GOD should be grateful to GOD for not being left behind and should also rejoice that their fellow workers, who GOD also chose, were not left behind either. Perhaps, workers should be especially happy those who came “late” made it.
- The focus should not be on “reward” but for doing the work of GOD.
5. As the parable notes, toiling for GOD will involve “heat.” But if we trust GOD and work diligently for HIM, HE will do exactly what HE says HE will do, and everything will be alright in the end. - Being obedient to GOD and working for HIM and furthering GOD’s kingdom is worth the heat in the end.
Once we understand “the heat,” we understand that GOD has positioned us where HE wants us to be; and that GOD’s GRACE has allowed us to be a part of HIS’s Kingdom; rather than being left in “the world” separate from HIM; we can better understand that “it’s worth the heat” in the end.
Foods To Withstand The Heat
According to Annie Hauser in “23 Super-Hydrating Foods to Beat Summer Heat,” as the weather gets warmer, drinking water becomes more important. The failure to properly hydrate can lead to fatigue or mood changes. Athletes (whether professional or students practicing during the summer with the hopes of making their school’s sport’s teams the next school year), children, and even those performing sedentary work, like sitting at a computer all day, need to make sure they drink enough water.
Eating hydrating foods can also be beneficial. Some of the hydrating powerhouse foods that Hauser mentions include:
Cantaloupe (which contains about 90% water)
Watermelon (which contains about 92% water)
Berries (Blueberries/Blackberries are about 85% water; Strawberries about 90%)
Tomatoes (Red tomatoes contain about 94% water; green tomatoes about 93%)
Leafy Greens (e.g. a cup of Arugula contains about 91 grams of water)
Broccoli (which although it appears dense contains about 91% water by weight)
Carrots (which contains about 87% water)
Apples (which contain about 84% water)
Pears (which contain about 84% water)
Cherries (which contain about 80% water)
Grapefruit (which contain about 91% water)
Grapes (which contain about 81% water)
Cucumbers (contain about 96% water)
See, “23 Super-Hydrating Foods to Beat Summer Heat,” by Annie Hauser, August 6, 2014, www.weather.com/health/news/super-hydrating-foods-beat-summer-heat-20140609.
Understanding and Accepting the Heat
One of the lessons of “The Parable of the Worker in the Vineyard” is to perhaps remind us that GOD does not owe us anything and that it is we who should be grateful to GOD for finding us in our idle “sinful state” and allowing us to work for HIM.
Another lesson of “The Parable of the Worker in the Vineyard” is that the church or our places of worship are not like “worldly workplaces.” We must avoid envy. We must avoid competition. We must avoid “a paycheck for hours worked” mentality. We must be grateful that we are one body, working toward GOD’s goals and not for our own individual goals or personal wealth.
Perhaps, most importantly, we have to understand, there will be heat. But, if we just keep working, and stay united as a “body” it will be worth it in the end.
No matter what you are enduring or encounter, if it is part of building the Kingdom of GOD, we must constantly remind ourselves of the promises of GOD.
So today, drink of THE GOODNESS and MERCY of GOD.
Stay united, keep working, remember HIS promises and BE BLESSED!
