For a very long time I congratulated myself, that I was among those who really understood the parable of the laborers. Mathew 20:1-16. I never had any qualms about, and even rejoiced in, the truth that those who embrace the Gospel late in their life can be heirs of exaltation along with those who spent their entire lives in Christ’s service. I rejoiced in the Book of Mormon, as I read of those who in the last-minute embraced the truth. 3 Nephi 7:26.
As my love for others deepened that parable became an even greater source of comfort. Those I love so intently may wander or reject the truth for now, but if in the end they come to Christ, in that day I will rejoice that they too will be heirs. While all of that is true, I realize now that my understanding was imperfect, my mercy limited.
The recent changes within the gospel of Jesus Christ, have caused me to see my fault, and lead me to understand the parable more fully. I realize now that my view was far too narrow. Yes, I was good with the timing of the acceptance of the later laborer’s, because in my mind it was based only on timing, the later laborers were still required to do the same work I had to do, in the same way, they just did it later in life or for a shorter time.
But, what if in the parable the later laborers had been invited in to perform some different job, like washing fruit in the shade of the house. What if they were not required to do the heat of the day stuff, in the same way I was, and yet got the same reward? What if the good master provided salvation based on different policies?
Paul’s life long struggle was with some of the Jews who had embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but who were also unwilling to see salvation come in a different way. They wanted the new converts to undergo the same requirements of the old law as they had done. They were called Judaizers because they refused to allow the New Testament, the new covenant, to replace a completely fulfilled prior law. They could not stand change, and so fought to preserve, to resurrect, to impose, what Christ had fulfilled. They often mistook cultural practices for saving doctrines and sought to force them on others. I definitely do not want to be a Judaizer.
I know that God is a God of love. His overarching purpose is to save as many souls as He can. If God commands changes in His church and kingdom, with the sole purpose of maximizing the salvation of His children, and I murmur about those changes because they are not what I was used to…… I immediately join the ranks with the murmuring laborers in Christ parable.
Thankfully, in a moment of prayerful reflection as I took time to pause and ponder over it all, I could hear the loving rebuke of a perfect Father as He said to me, and to all murmurers; “…Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” (Verse 15)
Then I felt to cry; “Yes Lord, my eye was evil, and Yes Lord, you are good, so good that I cannot even begin to comprehend it.”
I think I understand better now. When I love all humankind as God does, then I will rejoice in any and every change, every action, every directive, He gives, knowing they are given for the purpose of saving those He loves, those he would have me love.
Now as I ponder over all who I love so deeply, I realize that in the final day I really will not care at all how it was that they came to receive all the Father has….. I will simply rejoice with unending gratitude that they received it.