“And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.” – Matthew 20:9
This verse is the turning point in a parable that vividly illustrates God’s gracious nature. Jesus tells this story about workers hired throughout a long day of work. The workers are then paid in reverse, beginning with those who’d only worked for one hour. To everyone’s surprise, they receive a full day’s pay. Likewise those who worked a few hours longer. And those who worked longer still. And those who worked the full day.
This story can rub us the wrong way, as it did His original audience, because it doesn’t feel fair. Too bad! This isn’t about “fair” because fair was paying those who worked all day a day’s pay. The owner was fair and kept his word. What’s highlighted is that the owner is tremendously generous, kind, and graciously gives most people far more than they deserve. That’s God!!!
This parable illustrates how God deals with us when it comes to salvation. Those who come to know Jesus late in life are just as saved as those who met Jesus as kids. This is a wonderful and glorious thing! Why? Because everyone who is saved through faith in Jesus is an entirely new creation, adopted and beloved by God. Everyone saved by faith gets to join the heavenly multitude praising and worshiping God. Everyone saved by faith enjoys complete and full satisfaction and joy in heaven forever.
This is truly good news because nobody deserves to be saved. Nobody gets saved because they’ve earned it. We aren’t made new creations in Christ because we got good grades, worked extra hard for Him, or will do great things in the future. We’re made new because God is loving, kind, and gracious toward us, crediting us with the righteousness of His Son through faith in Him. Every Christian is a beneficiary of God’s grace – we’re given infinitely more and better than we deserve. As such, we should always applaud when God displays His extravagant grace by saving those who seem hopelessly set in their ways.