Matthew 20:8–9: “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.”

January 18th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Peter asked what the disciples could expect to receive for serving God, as part of His answer, Jesus told a parable of a landowner paying his laborers. The parable reflects the practice of that time of an employer paying his workers at the end of each day. The typical mode of payment, even back then, was “first come, first served.” But here Jesus reversed the order of payment to “last come, first served.” Some have suggested that these late labors were probably the less desirable workers because they had been passed over by other employers earlier in the day. If so, it must have seemed even more amazing that they now stood first in line. Imagine their surprise when instead of receiving something like a crust of bread, the employer placed in each of their outstretched hands a denarius, a whole day’s wage. Their day quickly went from bad to really good.

Jesus knew His disciples would struggle with the concept of salvation for everyone who comes to the Son, no matter how late in life. We are tempted to question the same idea ourselves whenever we see someone who was a notorious sinner get saved in the final moments of their life. Jesus was removing once and for all the thought that salvation could in any way be earned. How great and broad this gift of life is that Jesus holds out to all of humanity! As Peter later wrote, the Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

“LORD, please use us today to help lead someone to Your throne of grace and eternal life.”