The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-07-02


just" Matt tG
This IL another lesson connected
with our Lords porean ministry.
!. The Calls TO Service, w. ~.
To get a correct setting We must r..
turn 10 Peters question. 10 II, which
In turn grew out Of our Lords deal
ings with the rich young ruler tsoe
lesson Of June 2lsu, and which called
from Jesus the exclamation. 1t IL
hard for a rich man to enter the king.
dom Of heaven u9 23D AZ this the
disciples we're exceedingly surprised
and exclaimed Who then can ~
saved" " 2t1. Jesus replied. wit
God all things are possible" There
uuon Peter said. 10 We have left
an and followed thee: what then shall
We 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
we're to have
Jesus Answers Peter.
Jesus closed his answer TO Peter hy
saying. "Many that are first shall BE-
last. and the last shall be- FIRST" ~
3Ol and Illustrates his reply by the
parable which H. our lesson Many
who do not stipulate a reward shall
be first. while many who work and
work long but work only for r.
ward. will De 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
tsee chapter 10 Is. 2sD. that Is. they
would gain what the young ruler
sought by doing what he failed 20 dc
Historically this is illustrated by the
Jew and Gentle Matt I'll. IL. Luke
l3 $3.50. Rom 3O33.
Parable OF the Kingdom.
Jesus SAYS this is a parable Of the
Kingdom. hence the householder repre-
scnts God tcf n. %. 2i.33. s3): the
vineyard il the kingdom. see lisa. 20.
Matt 81 80 The king II seeking
laborers to labor In his vineyard lie
began In the early morning " u
and with those whom he employed BE-
made definite agreement Tho
penny had a value Of about seventeen
cents and represents an average days
wage az that time No one works for
God without fair wage. Eph 6.S
Heb 6 10 Notice. before they were
set to their task God called them
The call was to service. Mark liz
lie goes out again at the third and
the sixth and the ninth hour. finds
other labor,rs. making no definite
agreement with them but sends them
into his vineyard To work He led
them into the work and they trusted
him for wages At the eleventh hour
he found oilers and asked them the
reason " g.. they replied that DO
one had employed them and them too
he sends into the vineyard without any
bargain as 10 wages None except
those at the third hour had any In
timation AZ 20 their wage and they
Those called at the first may put IN
longer hours but produce u poorer
quality OF service than others called
at u later time. The character OF the
service is OF greater value than the
amount rendered and the higher the
service the greater the proportioI
reward We get in this life ab
what We work for
u. The Reward OF Service. w. SIS.
AZ the end OF the day the Lords
with the last and ending with the
first ~ 50. The FIRST one Is paid &C
cordng TO the strict letter OF the
agreement. and the last Is likewise
paid In strict justice but In a most
liberal manner lie. too. was worthy
for he worked throughout all the
time that was for him available
Giving an equal reward to all was
test of the character OF those men
who entered the vineyard In the cary
morning The Lords answer wv
1870 Is a four-fold one Cd u do
INV wv NiNHts Nis tohhie,N hs$'
lived up to to the very letter l9l
1t is my will to give. even as unto
thee" the Lord has a right TO De
generous II he SO desires. go II II
lawful for me TO do what | will Win
mine own" God has a right TO exer
else such a prerogative and man has
no right to complain, Rom. s;l5-zI
90 is thine eye evil because ! am
good'" The ground OF this complaint
Was that OF envy
ili.-The Teaching. We must De
ware OF trying TO make this parable
teach more than IL written To right
fully understand our Lords dealinst
with those who serve him We mus'
consider others OF his parallels. Inn
one has two chief lessons; nrst' ina.
priority OF time OF even Length OF
service IL not the allessential requf
site: and second. that our fidelity /"
and use OF our opportunity 10 NV
chief desideratum. Along with ID"
there ARE OF course other lessons. I'd
answer to Peters question our Lo'O
showed him and his fellow discip'~
that the last might be nrst