The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-07-02
INTERNATIONAL,
,SUNlNSQlO0L
LESSON
n SELLERS, Director Of Evening
ny Gyon n; The Moody Bible Institute
Chicaso)
LESSON FOR JULY 5
-uE LA6oRERS IN THE VINE
YARD.
HssoN TExT-Matt. 2o:1-16.

This is another lesson connected
with our Lords Perean ministry.
The Calls to Service, Wv. ~.
m oct a correct setting we must re.
urn to Peters question, 1877, which
~ turn grew out Of our Lords deal.
;ngs with the rich young ruler (see
lesson of June 21st), and which called
from Jesus the exclamation, ct Is
hard for rich man to enter the king.
dom of heaven" 1929. At this the
disciples were exceedingly surprised
and exclaimed, who then can be
saved?" w. 25). Jesus replied, with
Cod all things are possible" There
unon Peter said, "Lo, we have left
I'll and followed thee; what then shall
va have?" The young man refused
to leave his all and follow, whereas
the disciples had and Peter seems to
desire to know what advantage had
accrued to them, what reward they
were to have.
Jesus Answers Peter.
Jesus closed his answer to Peter by
saving, Many that are first shall be
last: and the last shall be first ".
3O) and illustrates his reply by the
narable which is our lesson. Many
who do not stipulate a reward shall
be- first, while many who work and
work long, but work only for a re-
ward, will be last. Preceding this
Jesus definitely told Peter that the
twelve should be associated with him
Judging the twelve tribes of Israel
and that all who had left all to fol-
low him should receive an hundred
fold and would inherit eternal life
(see chapter 1928, 29), that is, they
would gain what the young ruler
sought by doing what he failed to do.
Historically this is illustrated by the
Jew and Gentle, Matt. 8:11, II; Luke
13:28-3O; Rom. 9:30-33.
Parable Of the Kingdom.
Jesus says this is parable of the
Kingdom, hence the householder repre-
sents God (cf. 1927; 21:33, 43); the
vineyard is the kingdom, see lisa. 2:7;
Matt. 1888. The king is seeking
Iaborers to labor in his vineyard. He
began in the early morning (v. u
and with those whom he employed he
made definite agreement The
penny had value of about, seventeen
cents and represents an average days
wage at that time. No one works for
God without fair wage, Eph. 6:8;
Heb $40. Notice, before they were
set tn their task God called them.
The call was to service, Mark Ill.
He goes out again at the third and
the sixth and the ninth hour, finds
other laborers, making no definite
agreement with them but sends them
into his vineyard to work. He led
them into the work and they trusted
him for wages. At the eleventh hour
he found idlers and asked them the
reason ". g., they replied that no
one had employed them and them too
ne sends into the vineyard without any
bargain as to wages. None except
those at the third hour had any in
tlmation as to their wage and they
were to receive whatsoever is right"
Those called at the first may put in
longer hours but produce a poorer
quality of service than others called
at later time. The character of the
service is of greater value than the
amount rendered and the higher the
service the greater the proportionate
reward. We get in this life about
what we work for.
u. The Reward Of Service, wv. s-16.
AT the end of the day the Lords
steward rewards each man, beginning
with the last and ending with the
nrst ". 81. The first one is paid &C.
cordlng to the strict letter Of the
agreement, and the last is likewise
pald in strict justice but in most
noeral manner. He. too, was worthy
ior he worked throughout all the
tlme that was for him available.
ulVlng an equal reward to all was a
TEST of the character Of those men
VINO entered the vineyard in the early
morning. The Lords answer wv.
iol5) is four-fold one Cd Il did
,nee no wrong" the contract had been
ilVed up to to the very letter. (2)
IL Is my will to give, even as unto
'nee;;" the Lord has right to be
eeAerous if he so desires. 81 ut Is
lawful for me to do what will with
nllhe own" God has right. to exer-
use such a prerogative and man has
~ right to complain, Rom. 9:15-21.
w is thine eye evil because am
eooo? The ground of this complaint
was that of envy.
''''-The Teaching. We must be-
"are OF trying to make this para BILE
= s0ach more than is written. To right
-uiiy understand our Lords dealings
WIN those who serve him we must |
oonSioer others of his parallels. This
ono mas two chief Lessons; first, that |
pIiorlty of time or even length OF
80 wee Is not the allessential requi- |
49, and second, that our fidelity to |
a ahu use of our opportunity is the
t tnIel desideratum. Along with this
ere are Of course other lessons. In |