SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/5/2023 11:57 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
“The Objection To Kingdom Equality”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew 20:9-12
Message of the verses: “9 "When those
hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. 10 “When
those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but
each of them also received a denarius. 11 “When they received it, they grumbled
at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last
men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who
have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’”
As we look at these verses there are only two sets
of men who were hired that are spoken of, the last who worked only one hour and
the first who worked throughout the entire day.
There is no mention of what those who were hired on the third, sixth,
and ninth hours who were also paid a denarius had to say. There was a point with those who were hired
first were actually happy because they thought that they would be paid more
money because they worked longer. Then
came the news that they too would receive a denarius and things changed for
them, for it is conceivable that this first group would be thinking that they
would receive twelve denarii for working twelve hours.
Their
hopes were soon dashed when each of them also received a denarius, and they
reacted exactly as we would expect. “When
they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men
have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have
borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’” I have to say first of all that this would be
the normal human reaction, and I can’t say that if I were in that first group
that I may have felt the same way too. I
suppose that as I think back at my time when working at my job as a supervisor
at Ford Motor Company, Cleveland Casting Plant, that even though I was a
believer the entire time I was on that job that I had experienced different
times when I was passed over for advancement, but then I seem to come to my
senses, my spiritual senses, to believe that if the Lord wanted me to be advanced
that that is what would have happened.
These men who the Lord is talking about here had it all figured out as
they complained that they had worked all day in the heat of the day, (not sure
how hot it really was).
John
MacArthur concludes “Why should they get paid as much as we?’ They may have been overdramatizing their
case, but their basis description of the situation was correct. In any case, they were exceedingly
disgruntled at this perceived injustice and were determined not to leave until
they had satisfaction from the landowner, who was standing near his foreman
when the wages were handed out.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Life is not always fair, humaningly speaking,
but God is always in charge, and He knows what is best for me, even though at
times it is difficult to accept.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I pray that God will increase my faith so
that I can handle the things that He has me walk through; even though I know
that there are times when it is tough. 4/5/2023 12:26 PM
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