THE LORD JESUS had just said that every one who gives up anything for His name’s sake will receive a rich reward both in this life and in the life to come. But He also warned the disciples, and us too, saying, “Many first shall be last, and the last shall be first.”
Then He told about a man who owned a vineyard, and went out early in the morning to hire labors to work in His vineyard. When he had agreed to give them the usual wages, a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Three hours later he went out again and found other laborers standing idle in the market place, and he said to them, “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.” He went out again later on, and again yet later, and each time he found more men to send into his vineyard.
At last, when there was only one hour left before quitting time, he went out once more. Even then he found men who had been standing idle all day because no one had given them work. And he said unto them, “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.”
When evening came the lord of the vineyard told his steward to call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with those who had been hired last. You can just imagine how delighted these were when they received every one a penny — wages for a whole day — when they had only worked one hour. And you can imagine too how grateful they would be to such a good and kind master. They would feel like saying, “We will come tomorrow and work for you all day long just for love.”
But when those who had been hired early in the morning came, they too received every man his penny, just as they had agreed upon. Then they began to grumble, because they had expected more.
They forgot that the lord of the vineyard could do as he pleased with what belonged to him, and they did not like it that those who worked but one hour should be made equal to themselves who had borne the burden and heat of the day — for that was how they looked at it. They had been first to serve, but they had counted service a burden, and because they were the last to be rewarded they murmured, and showed that they were the last in love.
The Lord did not want Peter to be like that, and He does not want us to be like that either. He wants us to serve Him wholeheartedly, not because of the reward He has promised, but because we love Him.
ML-05/16/1976