Matthew 20:1-16
Some things just stick with you. How I remember, as a little girl, watching cartoons every Saturday morning. Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo… these were some of my favorites. But one of the all-time classics (‘I think so, anyway!) wasn’t a cartoon that was all that well-known. The star's face was never on a cereal box or lunch pail. There was no retro-movie made detailing his adventures, or hit song about him on the radio. And when I tell you the name of this cartoon, well, maybe you’ll understand why. It was... Underdog (I know. I’m really dating myself). Now, because it’s been a few years since this one was popular (a fact that saddens me a little for the children of today), I’ll fill you in a little about our hero.
By day, he was a shoe-shine boy, “humble yet lovable” (and more than just a little clumsy). But when crisis struck, this timid puppy stepped into the nearest phone booth and emerged as “UNDERDOG!” (I can almost hear the dramatic fanfare now). There was no monster too big for him, no criminal too dastardly for him. And the music! Are you kidding me?! The suspense it created was enough to quicken even the sleepiest Saturday morning pulse. Yes, this coy canine was Underdog and when he was on the scene, the kids of the country knew all was well. Ahhh… memories.
What about you? Is there a soft spot in your heart for the “underdog”? Maybe you’ve been watching a basketball game and one of the top teams was playing a “less celebrated” team. Do you ever cheer when the down-and-out team scores a basket? Do you catch yourself smiling when they slam the ball past one of the other team’s multi-million-dollar star players? I thought so. Me too. We enjoy rooting for the underdog. And so did Jesus.
The parable Jesus describes in today’s passage can be looked at from a couple of different viewpoints – that of the workers and that of the owner. Early one morning, the owner of an estate went out and hired workers to work in his fields. A certain wage was agreed upon, and the day began. Later, though, the same owner went out into the city once more to gather more workers, and still later, he hired more. This is the dilemma: those workers hired first thought they deserved more than those hired toward the end of the day. And the owner said, “No.” In fact, let's read his exact reply…
Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous? ~ Matthew 20:13-15 The Message Bible
And here we see the other viewpoint. The owner wasn’t paying a wage merely for the act of punching a time card. The wage was paid for the commitment to faithful service. And so it is with God.
When considering those who love Him, I think God looks not so much at the time served as he does the serving heart. He’s not looking for us to minister to great crowds of people, but rather noticing that we minister for Him at all. Faithfully fulfilling the task God has given us… is up to us. The end result of it… is up to Him.
Maybe your life sometimes feels like an episode of Underdog. You've gone through most of it as the “humble yet lovable” shoe shine boy. Maybe you’re still waiting for your big moment to step into the phone booth and break out of your unnoticed existence… to be the MVP of the team. But perhaps God has been using you just the same, just as you are, all along. If you've been faithful to obey His Voice, you're guaranteed a fitting reward. And it will be no less than that of some of the great spiritual Super Heroes of our day.
Once again we’re reminded that when man sees the years of stellar service, God sees the heart of humble obedience.
And it’s the obedient heart that He chooses to reward.
