A Penny

   Christ often taught with parables throughout his time on the earth. Parable can be difficult to understand but there are three things to keep in mind to make them easier to understand. First, is that they compare the spiritual and the physical side by side so they cant be taken too literal. Second, is that each parable is prompted by a question of some sort. Third, each parable has only one unique interpretation but cab be applied in multiple different ways. One parable that stuck out to me this week is the parable of the laborers.
   The parable of the laborers is simple, an owner of a vineyard goes out and hires several groups of workers but each group is hired at different times throughout the day. The interesting part is when he pays all of the workers of his vineyard. Instead of paying them each different amounts dependent on the amount of time they worked in the vineyard, they all get paid a penny. A penny may seem like a pitiful amount but in Christ's time a penny was equivalent to one full days labor. The laborers respond to this by saying:  "These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day." (Mathew 20: 12) Obviously they were upset that those who had worked less then them got paid the same amount. Now, what prompted Christ to tell this parable is a question Peter asks him: "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" (Mathew 19: 27) So, with that in mind the parable becomes easier to understand. Whether, someone forsakes all for Christ earlier or later in their life they will all be rewarded the same, we will all be rewarded salvation.
   The application for me came when I thought it would have been better if I had waited to forsake all for Christ. The thought was driven by the desire to participate in the activities of the world and then start following Christ since I would still receive the same reward. Like the first laborers in the vineyard I was resentful that in the end I would get the same reward. However, like the laborers I was forgetting that the privilege of working in the vineyard, or following the Gospel, is far greater than being outside of it. The last laborers that were hired did not enjoy the fact that they had to wait the whole day; preoccupied because they didn't know how they were going to buy food for themselves and their families. For me, I have had the privilege of knowing God's plan for most of my life, which has been a great comfort at many times in my life. The comfort and guidance I have received from following the Gospel makes my grateful that I was so fortunate to be someone who began laboring in the vineyard earlier in the day. So, this parable can be applied several ways but the the interpretation is the same, at the end of the day God rewards those who are righteous equally.