Some people, and even little people too, work for love, others for money. Happy is the child who takes real pleasure in helping his parents or those who cannot help themselves! We know a poor Christian woman who is sick and cannot go out on her own errands, and we know the little boy who every morning comes to her room to run her errands for her. The kind boy’s face, as he calls each morning at her house, is like a gleam of sunshine to the invalid. A rich person said to the little boy’s mother, “Do let me pay you for your kindness,” but the mother answered, “It is our joy to do this little thing for our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Lord will remember in heaven all those who work for love to Him.
What do we have in the parable in Matthew 20:1-161For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (Matthew 20:1‑16)? A number of men hard at work in the winepress; some treading the grapes, others bringing them from the vineyard to be trodden, and in the front a man gathering them up to cast them into the press. The Lord Jesus tells us how a householder hired men for his vineyard — men who were standing about idle in the marketplace. They were like many Christians, for they did not know what to do. “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” said the householder to them, and he sent them into his vineyard to work. If you wish not to be idle, listen to the Lord’s voice, and you shall hear what you are to do, for He has some sort of work to be done by you, and by nobody else in the world. There is much to be done, and there are few to do it: “Go ye also into my vineyard.”
The householder was very good; he went first early in the morning to the idle people, he went again about nine o’clock, again at noon, and then once more about three o’clock, and every time he went, he found idle people. And just as the day was about to close and when all opportunities for work were nearly over, at the eleventh hour — that would be just before sunset — again the householder went out to the idle people in the marketplace and said to them, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” And thus, by his own earnestness for their good, he sent many to work in his vineyard. If he had waited till these idle people had knocked at his gates for work to do, he would not have had many laborers in his vineyard.
The Lord is like this householder; He says to the young, the middle-aged, and the old, who love Him, “Go ye also into the vineyard.” He says this to all who love Him, from early morning till the eleventh hour, for His people are sadly given to the sin of idleness. Idle children are generally into mischief. They get selfish and grumbling and quarreling. God has made man to work, and the Lord in His tender grace asks us to work for Him.
Now when the day’s work was over, the laborers came to be paid. And some thought a good deal of all the work that they had done. They spoke of the burden and heat of the day and thought that their work was worth a great deal of money. Poor foolish men! It was the grace of the householder which was so precious. Why should the Lord allow us the privilege of doing anything for Him? Why should He take the trouble of seeking us and stirring us up to labor for Him? It is your privilege to work for the Lord; the favor is from Him in asking you to go and work in His vineyard. So these men were quite in the wrong. All received the agreed-upon wage, the Eastern penny, which was a full allowance for a full day’s work. The lesson taught us is that it is all grace in the Lord who rewards His people, and He does not forget a cup of cold water given to a disciple in His name.
Some have their thoughts on reward; they are working for the penny. Others have their thoughts on their Master; they are working for love. Are we working for the Lord, or are we still standing idle in the marketplace, Satan finding some mischief for our idle hands to do? And if we are working in the vineyard, are we working for love or reward?
The little boy who ran the errands for the poor invalid teaches us a lesson, for as his mother said, “We love to do it, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.” Happy are the people of God who are working in the Lord’s vineyard out of love to the blessed Savior who died for them and who will very soon take them to His rest!
Faithful Words for Young and Old, Vol. 3 (adapted)