THE KING’S BUSINESS
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drive a bargain with the Lord as to what reward they shall receive for their sacri fice and service. The parable is preceded and closed with the same statement, “Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first” (Matt. 19:30; 20:16). Many that are last become first because they work without stipulating the reward; while many that are first become last because they work long, but work for pay (vs. 12:14). The great historical fulfilment of the general principle is found in the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were first but worked for pay; the Gentiles came last but trusted grace (cf. Matt. 8:11, 12; Luke 13:28-30; Rom. 9:30- 33). There is likely to be another fulfilment in our day in America and England and the heathen nations. We are today the first in privilege, but they are likely to be come first because of our neglect of priv ilege. Those who began to work first re ceived a full day’s pay, everything' that they were, promised; with ' those who went to work late, the householder did not make a definite bargain, nor did they require it, as those did who were called at the first hour. Theirs was a higher type of service; those called at the first hour may have done a larger amount of service, but not of so high quality. The higher character of ser vice counts more with God than quantity of service. Those that did the higher ser vice got a larger reward in proportion to the amount of service rendered. A whole day’s pay was given to those who began at the eleventh hour. They received more than they had a right to expect, because they had trusted grace instead of demanding justice. Those who expect the largest re ward are those who get the least reward. The parable does not teach that those who bear the burden and heat of thp day will get no more than those who work only one cool evening hour (cf. 2 Tim. 2:12; 2 Cor. 4:17). But it does teach that one hour’s service in the spirit of humble trust that leaves the reward as a matter of grace to God, will be at least as abundantly re warded as twelve hours of legal service that tries to drive a close bargain with God
and seeks a reward as a matter of debt. Those who worked the twelve hours re ceived their pay with grumbling, but they had no right to murmur for they were paid every penny they agreed for, and the Lord had a right to do what he would with His own, even if He saw fit to pay to others more than they, had earned. There are four points in the householders’ answer to the murmurers: (1) “I have paid you all I promised” ; (2) “I have a right to do as I will with my own” ; (3) “I will to do with those who trust my grace more than I agreed” ; (4) “Your complaint only reveals your own selfish envy and not any injus tice on my part” (vs. 13-15). Each argu ment is unanswerable. God has a right to do what He will with His own, and no man has any ground of complaint against Him (cf. Exodus 33:19; Jer. 27:5; Rom. 9:15-21; Eph. 1:11). When men murmur at God’s dealing, the difficulty is not with Him but with their own vision (v. 15). Monday, March 22. Matt. 20:17-28. Jesus foresaw and foretold all the defi nite details of His coming suffering at Jerusalem. This was the third time He had told it to them since transfiguration, but they were so occupied with their own petty ambitions that they had not heeded what He had been saying. At this most inoppor tune moment, two of the best men in the Apostolic company came to Him with the request that they be preferred above the others (vs. 20 cf. Mark 10:35). They pre sumed upon the fact that Jesus had already conferred upon them favors withheld from most of the apostolic company (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). They may also have hoped something from the relationship existing between His family and their own. Jesus said to them, “Ye know not what ye ask.” Jesus has often to say that to us also when we pray. There was a condition of shar ing Christ’s glory with Him of which His petitioners little dreamed, namely, they must drink the cup of which He was about to drink. We must be sharers of Christ’s
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