The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 26 March 2026 – The Grace Of God
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TOPIC: The Grace Of God
READ: Matthew 20:1-16
1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 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.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
THE MESSAGE:
The parable in our text today focuses on God and His ways, which are different from the ways of men. In the parable, the first set of hired labourers were to be paid a penny a day. The other sets that came in at the third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours were to be given ‘whatsoever is right. ‘However, at the payment time, everyone received the same wage, to the anger of those employed in the morning. The vineyard owner was quick to remind them that he agreed for a penny with them, and they were not in the position to instruct him of how to distribute his money.
It is God that calls men into His vineyard. The grace with which to work is also His own. It is not the duty of any man to query how He chooses to distribute His ability and reward to men. All we need to do is to be faithful to the exact thing He called us to do for Him. God judges not by the length of time we have worked in His vineyard, but by how faithful we have been. His payment style is ‘whatsoever is right.’ He knows the right payment for every worker, and will deliver same at the right time.
PRAYER: Father, help me to work with the consciousness that you know the right payment for me. Amen.
