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NO TWO SERVANTS SERVE THE SAME
LORD’S DAY, APRIL 26 EVENING
Matthew 20:1-16

Memory verse: Matthew 20:4

 

“For the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a man that

is an householder…”

 

NO TWO SERVANTS SERVE THE SAME
 
The Parable of the Hired Servants depicts a daily wage worker’s working day in Jesus’ time. Many strong and able men would go to the marketplace to look for work. The householder would go early in the morning to hire labourers to work in his vineyard. A daily wage of one penny was agreed upon with the labourers he hired early in the morning. When he found he needed more labourers, he hired more around the third hour (i.e. 9am). With this second group, the amount to be paid to them was not discussed, other than being told to trust the householder to give them what he thought right. The labourers agreed and laboured in the vineyard. The householder made the same arrangements he had made with the third‑hour labourers, with the sixth-hour (i.e. noon), ninth-hour (i.e. 3pm) and eleventh‑hour (i.e. 5pm) labourers. All the later labourers accepted the terms of trusting the householder to pay them what he thought was right.
 
Some may serve longer than others because they live longer or have come to know Christ earlier. But it should not be the length of time that concerns us. Our manner of service is more important. The motive of service must trump the length of service lest we forget and serve with sinful motives.
 
All believers are unique and uniquely prepared by God for His service. When and for how long we serve Him are in our Heavenly Sovereign’s plan. The fact that we can serve after salvation is a privilege of the highest order. Before salvation, we served sin. Now we serve God and Christ, constrained by His love for us and our love for Him. Is this not the abundant life that Christ promised to all His disciples?
 
Have we forgotten that we serve the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Saviour of the world and Creator of the heaven and the earth? No servant of God serves the same in terms of length of time as another, but all must serve with the same motive of love.
 
THOUGHT: May I never forget to serve with the right heart, and not be distracted by how long I serve.

PRAYER: Father, help me to serve Thee faithfully.

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