You choose who you work for (Laboring in the vineyard Matthew 20:1-16)

1 year ago
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You choose who you work for (Laboring in the vineyard Matthew 20:1-16)
The great part of working in a capitalistic society is that the workforce has options on where they work and who they work for. Employers compete for the brightest and best workers by offering higher salaries, better benefits, and more vacation and personal time to employees. At young ages individuals begin to dream of and prepare for the career path they desire because they know that they have the power to choose their own direction in life. In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells a parable about a marketplace in which potential employees would gather waiting for an opportunity to score a job. Landowners would periodically come by the marketplace looking for individuals to work their fields for harvest season. Jesus said that one specific landowner made serval trips to the marketplace in one day but choose to pay everyone the same rate regardless of how many hours they had worked throughout the day. This made some individuals who worked longer hours angry because they felt they deserved more than those who only worked a few hours. The landowner simply told the workers that he did nothing wrong and paid them exactly what they agreed to work for, and he could do what he wanted with what belonged to him. The fact is the workers choose to work for the landowner and agreed to the wages so how could they complain about it when they received what they agreed to work for.
If we look at this parable from spiritual terms, we can see how the Kingdom of God works. God is actively seeking to add to His kingdom daily, yet it is up to everyone when whether they accept His invitation or not. We must realize that the decision we make determines the wages that we will receive when we leave this earth and enter eternity. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ. So, if we deny Jesus’ invitation to enter His Kingdom then we choose to receive the wages due us for choosing to remain in this world but if we accept Jesus then we receive the wages of eternal life. In life we all have a choice whom we are going to work for spiritually and this will determine our wages in eternity. Are we going to work for ourselves, for the almighty dollar, for a career, for our social status, or are we going to work for the Lord? I have heard people say that it is not much of a choice to only have two options but if you find yourself in a sinking boat and a rescue boat comes by do you choose to stay on the sinking boat or get in the rescue boat. God has sent the rescue boat in the form of His Son Jesus; it is your choice to stay on a sinking ship or get in the rescue boat. I choose to accept the way of escape that God has lovingly provided for us all and gladly accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

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