THE LAST BECOMES THE FIRST🤔 Module 2

Sequel to the first episode— LINK— here comes this interesting follow-up.

We ended the last one saying,

"The most important thing is that the work is done, that the master is pleased. It is a united work not a one man show.

THE LAST SHALL BE AS THE FIRST AND THE FIRST AS THE LAST."

NOW TO TODAY'S EDITION

Furthermore, let's zero into the response of the householder(vs 13–15). He was like, did I contravene your contract? [The answer ofcourse is no, he paid them exactly what was agreed] So if you decided to pry into other people's contract, well that's actually your cup of tea really. In addition, the householder indulged their mumuring by reminding them that it is also lawful for him to do as he pleases with his money.

Oh is someone reading still puzzled? Afterall in industrialised nations, you earn per hour. So it's not possible or even lawful for a man who has worked an hour to earn same as a man who put in 10hours, for same type of job.

Well this householder operated a different economy. This economy is called Grace! Oh my, just now many other streams of insight into this scripture beckons on me, but let me not deviate.

Let me endeavour to remain in line with the teaching so far.

Just incase you query why same Grace theme was not used for all. You would say, why is there such partiality by the householder? You may even back it up by saying God is not partial, He is fair to all, so the householder should be fair to all.

Well please hold a while. First of all, may I submit that it was harder for the guys who were paid by "Grace". You are wondering? How will this guy say it was harder for them, when they worked for only a short while?

Ok watch this. Only 120 people gathered in the upper room. Listen please, tens of thousands of people heard that Jesus resurrected, because He didn't stay 5 days after resurrection before going back to heaven, he stayed for weeks, 5 whole weeks at least(40days) actively appearing to people too.

His "offence" was that He was "disorganised", He didn't tell them the exact day the Holy Ghost will come. So, so many felt inconvenienced by that arrangement. How will they plan their lives, business, family etc when they are waiting without a target date, so they didn't turn up, meaning that the greatest evangelist/teacher/prophet/overseer ever, could only gather 120 people.
If he told them the Holy Spirit will come in exactly one month or 2 weeks, look that upper room would not even be the venue, it would be far too small.

All I'm trying to say is those labourers that came later, were not promised an exact amount of pay, they were just told to believe(vs 7b).

Now how do you plan without the knowledge of exactly how much you would be paid? Who does that!? At the very least, you should have a certain range of expected amount. The first labourers had a clear idea of what they would be paid.

This householder gave the latter labourers absolutely no clue and "foolishly" they followed him. By the way, my people, the typical Warri boy will never accept this kind of arrangement.🙂

That foolishness is expensive, I must say and the master reckoned it as precious. That foolishness is akin to faith and it appealed to the heart of the householder, thus he rewarded them with what ordinarily they didn't deserve.
Well the word in that last sentence is "ordinarily", but holistically now or truthfully, he actually rewarded their efforts, their efforts being more of a labour in the heart to believe without questioning. Friends, that's some tough labour! Ask brother sir Thomas(Jesus' disciple), he couldn't endure the labour of the heart to believe what he hadn't seen and he told his colleagues that he needs to see Jesus for himself before he believes their story that Jesus is risen. Ofcourse when Jesus finally met him, He told him that to believe without seeing, is the perfect way.

So therefore I now put it to you that all the labourers were rewarded according to their efforts. The householder looked at efforts holistically. Excuse me sir, Grace worked for all not just for some, contrary to what you may have thought this post is trying to establish. I mean old and new labourers enjoyed Grace.

You see, it's easy for man to place a premium on only what is tangible, like longer hours of work. Yet the guys with longer hours knew their pay ab initio. But there were the guys who worked without knowing what will be paid them, an intangible effort was behind their work. Intangible doesn't mean meaningless ma.

So no one can fault the householder on rewarding the intagible and that's why the householder's decision was called good(vs 15b) and he was referred to as the goodman (vs 11).

The householder equalised their pay(old and new labourers) and somehow that brings us back to the unity theme. He united their efforts to same pay each, as if to say I value all of your efforts as you all worked to achieve a common goal– tending my vineyard.

Infact one key recipe for unity was preached by the householder– "Is thine eye evil, because I am good?". In other words take your eyes off the pay of others( that's an evil eye) and focus on the fact that work has been done, focus on the fact that I have been pleased. I give remuneration fairly, don't investigate me instead have a sense of unity that concentrates on rejoicing that my work is done well.

It's all about the householder, just like it should be about God Almighty. Let Him take centre stage.

In this discourse, is also the doctrine of humility, infact you can't talk unity without humility. In other words, the householder was saying get humble, so that you eschew that rotten entitlement(or self-centered) mindset that wants to decide for me who should be paid more or by extension, whose ministry should be the loudest, whose Church should be the biggest, whose company should have more branches or whose children should study in the better schools, etc.

Now Jesus Christ ends with, "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

I paraphrase it to mean, if you choose to descend to the level of comparing yourselves with another(which is strange to the language of unity) you will be demoted, you become an "old prophet" if you know what I mean.

Shalom

You are the best!