In the story of the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16 the workers who labor the shortest time receive the same pay as the workers who worked all day. The latter protest to the owner of the vineyard, who answers “Are you envious because I am generous?” Jesus compares the vineyard to the Kingdom of God, and owner to our Father God.

In some ways this parable echoes the story of the Prodigal Son, and the voice of the older brother: “Look, all these years I’ve been slaving for you. . . yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.” (Luke 15:29)

At some time or other we Christians almost always misunderstand our work in the vineyard or in our Father’s house. We misunderstand God’s motive in calling us to serve, and forget that He knows that the closer we are to Him, the happier we are, and that work in His fields is a gift of love to us.

Who would be most grateful to the owner of the vineyard? Who would appreciate the work the most? Surely it would be those who worked the shortest shift, for they knew that they hardly deserved their sweet reward.

God knows that He is our happiness. The father of the prodigal says to his oldest son,”My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31)

When we begin to think that we have some qualities that merit God’s favor we lose sight of the love that is the very heart of God and that supplies all the merit we can possibly have. Just as a good parent doesn’t judge one of his or her own children according to the services the child renders, so God loves unconditionally His children.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 1914) It’s hard for us adults to see in these words a path for our own spirits, but they are some of the strongest words of Jesus ministry. How hard it is to be child-like toward our God. Almost everything in the world conspires against a child-like spirit. We struggle to be competitive, mature, intelligent, gifted, but seldom childlike in prayer and in relationships. Jesus describes the Kingdom of God. Can we find it in our own vineyards?

Love in Him,

Prue