In Matt. 19:1-22 we have the requirements of the kingdom, and in Matt. 19:23-30, the reward of the kingdom. Matt. 20:1-16 is the parable of the kingdom reward. In this message we shall consider the reward of the kingdom and the parable of the kingdom reward.
Verses 23 and 24 say, “And Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” The kingdom of God is used in verse 24 instead of the kingdom of the heavens mentioned in verse 23, At this point, the kingdom of the heavens had not come, but the kingdom of God was present. Hence, the Lord used the term the kingdom of God.
The Lord’s word about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God indicates the impossibility of entering into the kingdom of God by our natural life.
Verse 25 says, “And when the disciples heard this, they were exceedingly astonished and said, Who then can be saved?” The disciples, like most Christians today, confused salvation with the kingdom of the heavens. The Lord’s word to the young man concerned entering into the kingdom of the heavens, but the disciples considered that it referred to salvation. They had the natural, common concept of being saved. They did not grasp the Lord’s revelation concerning entering into the kingdom of the heavens.
In verse 26 the Lord said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” By our human life it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but it is possible by the divine life, which is Christ Himself imparted into us that we may live the kingdom life. We can fulfill the requirements of the kingdom by Christ, who empowers us to do all things (Phil. 4:13).
In verse 27 Peter said to the Lord, “Behold, we have left all and followed You; what then is there for us?” Peter seemed to be saying, “No matter how difficult it is to enter into the kingdom, we, like the camel, have passed through the eye of the needle. Since we have left all and followed You, what is there for us?” Peter’s concept was quite commercial. The Lord answered him, as usual, in a clear, definite way.
The kingdom reward is of two parts. The first part is in this age, and the second part is in the coming age. The first part of the kingdom reward is mainly related to material things and natural things. If, for the kingdom’s sake, or for the sake of the Lord’s name, we leave all these things, the Lord will reward us a hundredfold. In verse 29 the Lord said, “Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit eternal life.” To receive a hundredfold, houses, lands, and relatives, is to be rewarded in this age (Mark 10:30). This refers to the enjoyment of the brothers and sisters in the Lord with their possessions today. I can testify that I have left everything to follow the Lord, including my relatives. I hardly have a friend outside the local church. But I have hundreds of brothers, sisters, and mothers. In the church life we all have many mothers, brothers, and sisters. In a sense, those in the church life love me more than my relatives do. This is a reward. We need to believe the promise of the Lord that if we leave everything behind us to follow Him, we shall receive a reward, even in this age.
In verse 29, the Lord also speaks of inheriting eternal life. To inherit eternal life is to be rewarded in the coming age (Luke 18:29-30) with the enjoyment of the divine life in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. In the manifestation of the kingdom, we shall participate in the enjoyment of eternal life in the millennial kingdom with the Lord Jesus. This will be greater than the first aspect of the kingdom reward, which we receive in this age.
In verse 28 the Lord said, “Truly I say to you that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” The regeneration is the restoration of the coming kingdom age (Acts 3:21) after the Lord’s second coming. In the coming kingdom, the overcomers will sit on thrones to reign over the earth (Rev. 20:4). The first twelve apostles, including Peter, will judge the twelve tribes of Israel, while the others will rule over the nations (Rev. 2:26).
After hearing the Lord’s answer, Peter had nothing more to say. His mouth was shut. But the Lord went on to say, “But many that are first shall be last, and the last first” (v. 30). Many Christians use this verse, but most use it incorrectly. I am concerned that many of us do not understand this verse properly. Some say that a person who has just been saved but who has considerable experience is an example of the last becoming first. This is a natural interpretation. Others say that the young ones, who are last, have become the first, and that we, the older ones, are out of date and have become the last. This also is a natural understanding. Knowing that we would take His word in a natural way, the Lord gave the parable in 20:1-16 to explain the meaning of this verse. The word “For” at the beginning of 20:1 indicates that this parable is an explanation of 19:30. Furthermore, in 20:16 the Lord again says that the last shall be first and the first last. This also proves that the parable is an interpretation of the Lord’s word.
In order to understand 19:30 and the parable in 20:1-16, we need to see that Peter had a commercial mentality. His commercial mentality was exposed in 19:27, when he asked, “What then is there for us?” In other words, Peter was saying, “Lord, we have paid the price. Now what will You give us?” At the supermarket we pay a certain price and receive in exchange something with a certain value. We get what we pay for. This was Peter’s concept. He said that they had left everything to follow the Lord, that is, they had paid the full price. Now he wanted to know what he would get in exchange for the price he had paid. The Lord Jesus was fair and answered Peter in a clear way in 19:28 and 29. The Lord seemed to say, “When I sit on the throne of My glory, you will sit on twelve thrones. Peter, this is what you have paid the price for. Everyone who has left houses or relatives for My name’s sake will receive a two-part reward, the first part in this age and the second part in the coming age. In this age you will receive a hundredfold to replace the material things you left. In the coming age you will have the full enjoyment of eternal life.” The Lord’s answer was clear and fair, and I believe Peter was very satisfied with it.
The Lord, however, did not let Peter go, for he needed a further lesson. Therefore the Lord said that many (but not all) who are first shall be last, and the last first. This indicates that many, like Peter, who were the first would be the last to receive the reward. The Lord said this in order to revolutionize Peter’s commercial mentality. The Lord seemed to be saying to Peter, “Those who are the first will be last, and those who are the last will be first. I say this to show you that what I give you is not based upon your commercial sense. Although you must pay in order to receive the reward of the kingdom, receiving the reward is not a commercial matter. Actually, the price you have paid means nothing.”
The same, of course, is true of us today. What we have given up does not mean anything. Even if the President of the United States were to give up his presidency in order to have the kingdom reward, that would not mean anything. However, what the Lord gives means a great deal. If you pay a dollar for something at the department store, you receive something worth a dollar; and if you pay a hundred dollars, you receive something worth a hundred dollars. But, in the eyes of the Lord, the price we pay for the reward is just a few cents, but the reward He gives is worth millions. What could we pay to receive the full enjoyment of eternal life? The full enjoyment of eternal life in the manifestation of the kingdom is priceless. The price we pay cannot compare with the reward we shall receive. Receiving the reward is not a commercial transaction. It is not a matter of paying a certain amount and of receiving something equal to that in value.
Actually, what we pay is dung (Phil, 3:8). Everything apart from Christ is dung. The Lord seemed to be saying to Peter, “Peter, in the kingdom you will be sitting on the throne ruling over the children of Israel. This is the kingship. Peter, all you have given up to obtain this is dung. Do you think you can buy the kingship with dung? If you attempt to pay Me with dung, I would not accept it. Rather, I would tell you to get rid of those things. Although the price you pay is dung, I shall reward you with the kingship.” Peter, who had a commercial mentality, needed to be reeducated by the Lord Jesus. The Lord was wise and patient with him and gave a long parable to explain what He meant when He said that the first would be last and the last first.
Matthew 20:1 and 2 say, “For the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard. And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” The householder is Christ. The morning here is 6:00 a.m., denoting the earliest part of the church age, when Christ came to call His disciples into the kingdom. The workmen are the disciples, and the vineyard is the kingdom. The agreement referred to in verse 2 denotes the agreement He made in 19:27-29. The denarius is the reward the Lord offered Peter in His agreement with him in 19:28 and 29.
Verses 3 and 4 say, “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place, and to those he said, You go also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went.” The third hour was 9:00 a.m., denoting the second part of the church age. The word “idle” indicates that whoever does not work in the kingdom of the heavens is standing idle in the world, which is denoted by the market place.
Verse 5 says, “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did likewise.” The sixth hour, 12:00 noon, denotes the middle part of the church age, and the ninth hour, 3:00 p.m., denotes the fourth part of the church age.
Verses 6 and 7 say, “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and said to them, Why are you standing here all the day idle? They said to him, Because no one has hired us. He said to them, You go also into the vineyard.” The eleventh hour was 5:00 p.m., denoting the fifth part of the church age. Those hired at the eleventh hour said they were standing around idle because no one had hired them. Outside the kingdom of God, no human beings are employed by God. Although the hour was late, the Lord still sent them into the vineyard. Even near the end of the church age, the Lord still calls people to work in His kingdom.
According to verse 8, the householder rewarded the workmen at evening, that is, at 6:00 p.m. This denotes the end of the church age.
Verse 8 says, “And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.” For the lord to begin from the last to the first was against the natural and commercial concept. It indicates that what is paid to the latest workmen is not according to their work, but according to the gracious wish of the lord of the vineyard.
Verses 9 and 10 say, “And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius. And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they themselves also received each a denarius.” Here we see that the last and the first received the same reward. The first workmen mentioned in verse 10 included Peter, who made a deal with the Lord in 19:27-29.
Much to the surprise of those hired first, the last were the first to receive the reward, although they worked just one hour, not during the heat of the day. Thus, when those hired first saw that the last received a denarius, they expected to receive a great deal more. However, they also received a denarius. Verses 11 and 12 say, “And when they received it, they murmured against the householder, saying, These last have worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” Those hired first should remember Romans 9:14-15 and 20. There is no unrighteousness with the Lord. He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Who are they to reply against the Lord? But Peter’s natural concept, representing that of all believers, was commercial; he did not know the Lord’s gracious wish. Thus, he murmured against the Lord according to legality.
Verse 13 says, “But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I am not wronging you, did you not agree with me for a denarius?” By “one of them” the Lord was no doubt referring to Peter. The agreement mentioned in this verse was the agreement the Lord made with Peter in 19:27-29. Here the Lord seemed to be saying, “Peter, we signed an agreement. I don’t owe you anything, for I have given you what I promised. However, I’d like to show you that My reward is not a commercial matter, but a matter of grace. Peter, you need to learn the lesson of grace. The reward is a matter of grace according to My desire. Out of grace, I desire to give those hired last the same reward that I promised to give you. What is wrong with this?”
Verse 14 continues, “Take what is yours and go. I desire to give to this last one even as to you,” This was a strong answer to Peter from the Lord, indicating that the Lord had given him what He thought he deserved. But the Lord has the right to give the same thing to the latest workmen according to His own wish, in the principle not of work but of grace. This shattered and corrected Peter’s natural and commercial mind.
Verse 15 says, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” Peter’s concept, in dealing with the Lord in 19:27, was altogether commercial, according to the principle of work, not of grace. In His answer to Peter, the Lord strongly indicated that His reward to His followers is not commercial, but according to His desire and grace. For the disciples to gain the kingdom of the heavens, they need to leave all and follow the Lord. But what He will give them as a reward is more than they deserve. It is not according to the principle of commerce, but according to the Lord’s good pleasure. This is an incentive to His followers.
In verse 16 the Lord concludes this parable: “Thus shall the last be first and the first last.” The last are the latest workmen, and the first are the earliest ones. In working, the earliest ones came first, but in receiving the reward, the last became the first. It is this way that the Lord makes the last first and the first last. Therefore, the reward is not a legal matter, but a matter of grace.
We should not have a commercial mind. Salvation is based upon grace. The Lord Jesus has done everything for us, and there is no need for us to work. The kingdom reward, however, is according to our work, according to the price we pay. If we pay the price, then the Lord will give us a reward. It may seem that the reward is purchased by our work. If we think this, then we are like Peter with a commercial mentality. We need to be reeducated to see that even the reward is based upon grace. The way to receive the reward is not to pay the price, but to enjoy grace.
To be saved is to receive grace, and to gain the reward is to enjoy the grace we have received. When we believed in the Lord, we received grace and were saved. After receiving grace we must learn to enjoy grace. To leave all things behind and follow the Lord is not to pay a price; it is to enjoy the grace we have received. Do not think that you have sacrificed anything. What you sacrifice is just dung; it is vanity of vanities. Everything under the sun is vanity. Your education, position, and future are all vanity. Dung cannot be considered a price. To leave all things behind is to be unloaded and released. You have been under the heavy load of your position, wealth, and concern for your future. Thus, you need to be unloaded, and the way to be unloaded is to enjoy grace. Grace unloads us. To be unloaded through the enjoyment of grace, however, is not to pay a price. We are not here paying a price. Rather, we are enjoying liberation. Hallelujah, I have been liberated! I have been liberated from my relatives, fame, position, future, and everything; I am completely free. I am not paying a price — I am enjoying grace.
We all need to give up the commercial mentality. Some saints have said, “I have left everything for the church. I have suffered very much, and now I have nothing.” Whenever I have heard this kind of complaint, deep within me I said, “You cannot receive anything, because your giving up of all things and your suffering have not been done in the proper spirit. If you were in the right spirit, you would be thankful, joyful, and praise the Lord that you are no longer burdened.” If we have given up all things for the Lord in a proper spirit, we would say, “O Lord, I thank You that I am not bearing the load of position, ambition, or concern for the future. All the worldlings are under a heavy load. But, Lord, I praise You that I have been unloaded and liberated. I am not paying a price — I am daily enjoying grace. Lord, whatever You give me is not a reimbursement, but a further enjoyment of Yourself.”
I believe that we are in the last group of workmen, those hired at five o’clock in the afternoon. But we shall be the first to be rewarded, although we shall not work as long as Peter, James, John, and Paul, who have been working for nearly twenty centuries. They have labored the entire day, bearing the scorching heat. But we have labored for such a short time, at the most a number of years. Perhaps as we are receiving the reward, Peter will say to John, “Look, these people are receiving the reward before us.” But that will be the fulfillment of the Lord’s word that the last shall be the first and the first last. Perhaps John will say to Peter, “Peter, be patient. If these last ones are receiving such a reward, we shall certainly receive much more.” However, Peter and John may be surprised to receive the same reward as those hired last. But the Lord may say to Peter and to all those hired first, “Didn’t I make an agreement with you? Was not My promise satisfactory? Do not complain, but take your reward and go to the throne. Do I not have the right to do things according to My desire? Am I wrong for being good?” One day, we shall receive the same reward as Peter, and we shall receive it first. Peter’s reward will be a denarius, and ours will be the same. This denarius denotes the full enjoyment of the divine life in glory in the manifestation of the kingdom. This will be our reward.
