我们在天堂所积蓄的赏赐并不正比于我们做基督徒的时间。如果一个人很年轻就做了基督徒,他在几十年里勤勤肯肯地过基督徒的生活,但最终所得也许会与一个在晚年成为基督徒,只在死前不久过基督徒生活的人相同。
类似地,如果两个人同时成为基督徒,但一个比另一个死得早。那么死得早的所做的工也许会少些,但因为先进入安歇,就比那个做工更久,后进安歇的人更早享受财富。
“我的东西难道不可随我的意思用吗?因为我作好人,你就红了眼吗?”这句话提醒我们,我们是在神的恩典之下做事的。的确,作为神的仆人,我们根本就不应该要神给我们任何报酬。
这个寓言的另一侧面则是考虑那些找了一整天工作,直到很晚才找到雇主的人的处境。任何一个曾失过业,在积蓄渐尽的窘况下花几个月时间找工作的人都会知到所面临的困难和压力。在这里,这些人似乎只是没有遇到合适的机遇。而这位家主,因为是一个富有恩慈的人,想帮助这些机遇的受害者,给他们与那些因为机遇能够早来工作的人一样多的工钱。在生活中成功的人往往自负,看不起那些不幸的人,而没能看到他们成功的很大的因素是他们控制之外的机遇。
考虑那些在后半生才成为基督徒的人。若撇开开尔文的哲学,如果他们死得早些,他们就已经进地狱了。在认识基督以后,若让挑选的话,我想其中的大多数都会选择早些得救的,竟管这意味着他们要工作得久一些。
| There once was a man who owned a vineyard
And needed some men to work very hard He hired some men early in the day And told them a denarius would be their pay And every few hours he hired more men Telling them the same again and again Then in the evening he gave them their wage But the ones who came early expressed outrage "We worked harder than anyone here. Aren't you being just a bit unfair." "I'm not being unfair to you. A denarius was what you agreed to." Now take your pay and go. Even though you thinks it's low. For I'll be gracious to whom I want. I'll be generous even though you aren't. For many who are victims of circumstance. And hiring you early was a matter of chance. There are Christians who live quite a long time. Laboring all day taking care of the vine. But some get saved after they are old Or live a short while after entering the fold But nonetheless on judgement day Both may end up receiving the same pay For the point is not simply doing his biz But rather revealing how gracious he is. |