God's Great Grace - Part 3

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard (Matthew 20:1).

If we were to translate and interpret The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard with the meaning Jesus intended for us to understand, it would go something like this:

This is how the Kingdom of heaven works. God offers His Kingdom to those who are young in life. When they accept God’s offer, He will send them out to minister in His Kingdom. God also offers His Kingdom to those who are older in life saying, “You are welcome into My Kingdom.” They too will receive His offer and minister in His Kingdom. God offers His Kingdom to those who are even older in life. They also will accept His offer and minister in His Kingdom. God also offers His Kingdom to those at the end of their life saying, “'Why have you not come to My Kingdom during your lifetime?” They will say to Him, “No one has made such an offer to us.” He will say to them, “You also are welcome into My Kingdom.”

When life is over and eternity comes, God will say to Jesus, “Call all of those who have received and ministered in My Kingdom and give to them the fullness of My salvation, starting with those who came into the Kingdom last.” When those who received the Kingdom in their advanced age come forward, each will receive the fullness of God’s salvation. But when those who received the Kingdom in the earliest years of their life come forward, they may think they will receive a greater salvation than the first. However, they will receive the fullness of God’s salvation just as the others have. When they receive it, they may complain saying, “Those who came into Your Kingdom and ministered in it at the very end of their life have received the same salvation as those of us who came into Your Kingdom and ministered in it all of our lives.” God will answer saying, “I’m not being unjust in this. Did you not come into My Kingdom and minister in it according to the salvation I offered you? Take then what I have promised you and be satisfied. It is My desire to give to each one the same salvation as I have given to you. Is it not right for Me to do what I desire with what belongs to Me? Or are you jealous over My generosity?” To every servant God’s generosity is given.

This interpretation of the parable is consistent with what Jesus taught concerning the Kingdom of God, it is consistent with the biblical concept of God’s grace, and it is consistent with the biblical teaching of salvation. We must be reminded, however, that while every Christian will receive the fullness of God’s salvation in eternity, no matter what stage of life that person was saved, those who minister in God’s Kingdom longer have the potential of receiving greater rewards in heaven. This is a parable about salvation, not about rewards. Don’t confuse the two. The rich young man asked about eternal life (Matthew 19:16), not about eternal rewards (context, context, context).

“Thank You, Father, for the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Thank You that Your generous offer of grace is the same for all who believe and receive Your salvation. May the name of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever, Amen.”

Pastor