And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. – Matthew 20:3-4
Aside from the admonition to contentment in service to God, what stands out to me in this parable is verse 3, “…he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.” Why were they idle? They were in the marketplace. Was their no opportunity to work before the vineyard owner arrived? We do not know, but if we look at our own lives, we find many times we are idle, waiting on someone to put something in front of us or tell us what to do.
Similarly, when I was young man, I asked my dad how I could know God’s will for my life. He smiled, picked up his worn Bible and said, “Here is God’s will for your life.” It took years for me to understand the absolute truth of that statement. Please understand, I was professionally and socially active, but I was just “too busy” being spiritually idle to see it.
Praise God, the divine vineyard owner, for coming to me and putting me to work in His vineyard, the Kingdom of Heaven. I am not the first one to be called, and I am not likely to be the last. He saved me from my idleness and lack of purpose.
If you are active in God’s Kingdom, then please accept my thanks. Well done! Pray for the rest of us. If you are just standing in that marketplace, pray for God to open His Word to you. His purpose for you will become apparent. In all things give thanks. This is the will of the Lord.