In the morning the foreman went out looking for workers. He promised them a certain wage for working all day. Throughout the day, right up until nightfall, he continued to hire workers. .
At the end of the day the workers gathered to receive their pay. They were surprised and angered to find that everyone was receiving the same wages. It did not matter how long they had worked. We may take from this that God rewards everyone equally. This runs counter to our modern concept that the longer one works, the more he or she is entitled to receive.
Martin Luther promoted an idea about work based on Ephesians 4. That is the idea of vocation. Each one of us is called to his or her particular work. It is in the carrying out of that work that we can demonstrate the Holy Spirit is at work in us. We are a redeemed people. We are God's people. One calling is not higher than another.
Our work, whatever it may be, is an honorable vocation, an honorable calling. We are given the skills for our vocation by God's spirit. Work is not about Snoopy's or Garfield's concepts. Work is not a god. Work is a gift from God. We should use work to God's glory, and in so doing, proclaim His holy name.
To those who dislike work, remember that work is honorable and blessed by God. For all of us who work in the Kingdom, at any honorable job, our work is our response to God's grace. This grace was first shown to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, to David, and to us. Every day we honor God with what we do and with what we say.
Employers" Responsibilities.
Paul says in Colossians 4:1 "Masters, give your servants what is just and fair." There were a vast number of slaves in the first century. It is estimated by historians that there were about 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire. That would have been about one-third to one-half of the population. It is the slave owners whom Paul addresses in that passage. They are analogous to our employers of today.
