God’s fair labor law
God’s fairlabor law by lcl
Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of Heaven is like a man, a housemaster, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2 And when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
Mat 20:4 And he said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went.
Mat 20:5 And he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise. Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why do you stand here all day idle?
Mat 20:7 They said to him, Because no one has hired us. He said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and you shall receive whatever is right.
Mat 20:8 So when evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the laborers and pay them their wage, beginning from the last to the first.
Mat 20:9 And when they who were hired about the eleventh hour came, they each one received a denarius.
Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would received more; and they also each one received a denarius.
Mat 20:11 And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house, Mat 20:12 saying, These last have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
Mat 20:14 Take yours, and go; I will give to this last one the same as to you.
Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own? Is your eye evil because I am good?
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many are called, but few are chosen.
The story above about heaven is familiar to most Christians, but some may be perplexed at God’s reasoning as the master in the story. We know that god is fair and we believe Him when he says that he will give what is right to all the laborers, but how can equal wages for unequal times be right? I would offer this explanation.
Part of the key is in verse 16 where the “many are called” is referring to being called to salvation and thus receiving heaven as a reward when anyone receives Christ as lord. God promised heaven to all that would accept his son irregardless of when he was accepted. Salvation is available at any time in life and is not time limited, even if acceptance is received just before a person transitions into the next realm of heaven or hell. That is God’s contract with all mankind which is referred to in Matthew 20:2 above.
Joh 3:14 But even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Joh 3:15 so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Rom 10:9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
However, gaining Heaven is not all that god offers. Other rewards are not included in the base contract. These rewards are based on personal efforts.
Mat 6:4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret Himself shall reward you openly.
Mat 10:41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a just one in the name of a just one will receive a just one’sreward.
Mat 10:42 And whoever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, He shall in no way lose his reward.
Mat 16:27 For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works.
Luk 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. And your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest. For He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly so, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done nothing amiss.
1Co 3:8 So he planting, and he watering, are one, and each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.
1Co 3:14 If anyone’s work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward.
Col 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men; Col 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For you serve the Lord Christ.
Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and if every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,
2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, so that we may not lose those things which we worked out, but that we may receive a full reward.
Rev 22:12 And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward iswith Me, to give to each according as his work is.
Thus, God is still completely fair and all shall be satisfied!