March 06, 2018

Worth a Denarius


Last Friday the Reverend Billy Graham was laid to rest. An evangelist for over eight decades, I have confidence this man of God will be great in the kingdom of heaven. However, some of us struggle with the idea that anyone who has been a Christian for only a year is worth as much to God as the esteemed Billy Graham. In the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.” On the third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hour the landowner did the same thing and hired more men. At the end of the day some men grumbled when they learned all the men hired were paid the same wage, one denarius. The landowner said to them, “Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matt 20:1, 13-16 NIV).

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