XXI The Labourers in the Harvest
In the Bible we have many vivid pictures in which God would teach us, by earthly things, concerning His heavenly things.
This Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard is one of these pictures. We have the account of it in the 20th chapter of Matthew.
There was an Eastern householder. He had great estates, and fields and vineyards, stretching far up on the hillsides, and kept with great care by his vine-dressers. By and by the grapes were ready for picking and the householder went out early in the morning to hire the labourers for his vineyard.
In those days there was a certain coin which was considered fair pay for a day’s wages.
Some of you who read the story in the Bible may say, “A penny for a day’s work!” But this is only because the money then was of such a different value from what it is now; and a Roman penny was worth nearly eight times what our penny is now, and was at that time the usual hire for a day’s work.
So the lord of the vineyard went out early to engage the men to get in his harvest; and when he had agreed with them for a certain sum, he sent them into his vineyard.
By and by, about nine o’clock in the morning, he went out again; and seeing others standing idle in the market-place, he said to them: “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.”
So they went their way, and entered the vineyard.
Then came twelve o’clock, and then three o’clock; and still the householder wanted more men to labour in his vineyard. As our Lord had said in another place, “The Harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.”
At length, at the last hour before sundown, the householder went out once more, and found others standing idle, and he said to them: “Why are you standing here idle all the day?”
And they answered him: “Because no one has hired us.”
So the householder said to them: “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that ye shall receive.”
And soon the short Eastern twilight came, and then, as a poet says: “The sun sinks, the stars rush out,” and the day was over!
Then the lord of the vineyard said to his steward: “Call the labourers and give them their hire, beginning from the last ones even to the first.”
So the last men came, who had worked only one hour, and they were each given the Roman penny.
But when the first ones, who were hired early in the morning, were given their money, they supposed that they should have received more for their long day’s work. But they each received the Roman penny.
THEY BEGAN MURMURING AGAINST THE GOOD MAN OF THE HOUSE.
Then they began murmuring against the good man of the house, saying: “These last have only worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, who have borne the burden and heat of the day!”
But the lord of the vineyard explained to them that he had given each man what he had agreed upon; and that he had done them no wrong; for he said he had a right to do what he willed with his own money.
Now there are several things to learn from this picture story, and as I go along I think you will see them for yourselves.
The vineyard belongs to the Lord God.
The vines here represent the people in the world whom the Lord wants to store in His beautiful garner, the Heavenly Home, by and by.
The labourers are God’s own people, whom He calls to bring those precious grapes into the garner.
God calls each one of us who loves Him to be a labourer in His Kingdom.
To one, who is perhaps strong and able, He gives work that will last him the whole long day of a long life!
Of another, He asks half a lifetime—of another, a quarter of a lifetime; or only one short hour perhaps!
To each one, when the day is ended, the Lord will give His own reward. If the worker has been faithful in what has been given him to do, the Lord of the Harvest will say: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
Little children can work for this Heavenly Lord. They can do little kindnesses for Christ’s sake; they can try to be like Jesus. They can listen for God’s commands like little Samuel, and obey Him when He speaks to them.
These may be like the one hour servants, but they will get their full rewards!
Some of the servants of the Lord of the Harvest have very hard and toilsome work to do. He has given them that to do, and He will surely give them their pay!
What is that pay? Not a Roman penny; not any earthly coins or rewards; but they are promised that if they are wise, and turn many to righteousness, they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever!
Does not this encourage us to do what we can to tell others of the love of Jesus Who died on the Cross that we might be saved?
We can all pray that God will call us to work for Him; and surely, if He does call and we listen to His Voice, He will teach us how to bring many to righteousness, and earn “the crown of glory that fadeth not away!”