Daily Devotional • November 27
A Reading from Matthew 20:1-16
1 ‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage,* he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; 4 and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” 7 They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.* 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” 13 But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’*
Meditation
This parable is a continuation from yesterday’s reading of Jesus’ exchange with Peter. Jesus had been talking about the kingdom of heaven, camels, eyes of needles, and rich men. Peter helpfully reminded our Lord that the apostles have given up everything to follow him. “What then will we have?” Peter asks, the implication being, given everything we’ve done, don’t we at least get some sort of guaranteed entry into the kingdom of heaven?
Jesus does provide Peter with an answer. There will be crowns and thrones. In fact, when Jesus goes on to elaborate with this parable, it seems it is only the first workers—the apostles—who are guaranteed this daily wage. For all others who come after, the landowner only agrees to pay what is right.
Now what is right is not fair by worldly standards. In the parable, the people who are paid first are the ones who only just showed up five minutes before the end of the work day. This certainly rubs against my innate sense of fairness. I worked harder. I deserve the greater recognition and remuneration. This parable is a reminder that from the perspective of St. Peter—the first laborer in the vineyard—I’m the shmo who only just turned up five minutes before the end. Imagine this: In the first shall be last, the last shall be first scenario, could it be that at the end of all things, God’s abundant mercy and grace would require me to enter the kingdom of heaven before St. Peter? He may receive a crown and a throne, but by God’s grace, you and I may pass over some holy threshold before him.
Let that staggering possibility give us pause anytime we are even remotely tempted to denigrate a fellow brother or sister. It is those who come after us who may very well be the first to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And by God’s strange grace, we may all be ahead of St. Peter. Not one of us is deserving of such an honor. May we never forget it.
Sarah Cornwell lives in Wheaton, IL with her husband, James, and their seven children.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Diocese of Rockhampton – The Anglican Church of Australia
This ministry of The Living Church Foundation is made possible in part by a special bequest from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.
