A few days ago when I was with my 3 grandchildren, I shared with them the story from Matthew 20 about the laborers in the vineyard.  I told them the story in slightly different words.  I said what if you went out to work on the farm and at 8am one of you started your job, later in the day around noon one of the others came and started to work, and finally at 4pm the last one showed up to work.  After 5pm, the farmer came out to pay all of you and you all received the same pay.  My oldest said that’s not fair and I would be mad if I was the one that started working first.  I said it doesn’t seem fair to us but it is “mercy” exemplified in the greatest way.  When I then explained, what if we are talking about being saved?   She said, “Oh that is different.”

It is a hard concept for us as humans to wrap our minds around.  Our thought process is about self.  But every time I read this scripture my heart is so overwhelmed that we serve a God that has such great mercy.  I’m so very thankful that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts.  I have had family members that spent 75 years of their life ignoring God and his plan of salvation and then at the last hour they realized they needed a Savior.  Did God say “No I’m sorry it is too late, you should have come earlier when you had years to serve me”?  No, He did not.  In fact, it was quite the opposite: He just said welcome home, my Child.

Salvation is a gift of God.  We could never do enough to earn it.  This scripture has given me much hope over the years, to know that as long as the person is alive, they can still ask God to save them.  It does not matter if you have made wrong choices all your life and you have suffered the results of those and you are at the bottom of the barrel, God will still say “Yes!” if you will just offer yourself to him.  I know people do not easily forgive or forget but God loves with an everlasting love and is benevolent in all His ways.  I love the mercy and grace of God and that He overshadows me with these.  No wonder, He said the last shall be first.

Matthew 20:1-16 

¹ For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

² And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

³ And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

⁴ And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

⁷ They 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.

⁸ So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

⁹ And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

¹¹ And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

¹² Saying, 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.

¹³ But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

¹⁴ Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

¹⁶ So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.