Chapter 97

Olketa Workman Long Grape Plantation

“PLANTI wea first,” Jesus just say, “bae last and olketa wea last bae first.” Then hem talem story for showim diswan and say: “Kingdom bilong heven hem olsem wanfela man, wea go aot early long morning for lukaotem olketa workman for work long grape plantation bilong hem.”

Jesus say moa: “Taem [datfela man] agree withim olketa workman for givim them wanfela denarius for wanfela day, hem sendem them go long grape plantation bilong hem. Then taem hem go aot long mek-three hour, hem lukim samfela moa wea no garem work long maket; and hem say tu long olketa, ‘Iufela tu, go long datfela grape plantation, and bae mi givim iufela samting wea fitim.’ So olketa go. Then hem go moa long mek-six and mek-naen hour and duim sem samting. Go-go long mek-eleven hour hem go aot and faendem samfela, and hem say long olketa, ‘Why nao iufela stap long hia for full day and no garem work?’ Olketa say long hem, ‘Bikos no anywan askim mifela for work.’ Hem say long olketa, ‘Iufela tu go long grape plantation.’”

Owner bilong grape plantation, hem Jehovah God, and grape plantation hem nation bilong Israel. Olketa workman they pipol wea insaed long Law covenant; olketa Jew wea stap long taem bilong olketa aposol. Hem mekem agreement nomoa withim olketa wea work for full day. Wages bilong them hem wanfela denarius for wanfela day wea they work. From “mek-three hour” hem 9 klok long morning, olketa wea hem kolem them long mek-three, mek-six, mek-naen, and mek-eleven hour they work for only 9, 6, 3, and 1 hour.

Olketa wea work for 12 hour, or full day, piksarem olketa bigman bilong Jew wea busy for longtaem nao withim work bilong religion. No olsem olketa disaepol bilong Jesus wea, for klosap full laef bilong them, they duim fishing or otherfela work. Start long 29 C.E. datfela “man” sendem Jesus Kraest for hipim ap olketa hia for kamap disaepol bilong hem. So they olketa wea “last,” or olketa workman wea kam long mek-11 hour.

Go-go, tok piksa workday finis taem Jesus dae, and hem taem for peim olketa workman. They followim spesel way for peim firstaem olketa wea last, olsem Jesus say: “Taem hem evening, datfela masta bilong grape plantation say long man wea luk aftarem evri samting, ‘Kolem kam olketa workman and peim wages bilong olketa, start from last wan go kasem first wan.’ Taem olketa wea start work long mek-eleven hour they kam, each wan long them kasem wanfela denarius. So, taem olketa first wan kam, they ting say they bae kasem moa; but olketa tu kasem wages bilong wanfela denarius. Taem they kasem datwan they start for complain long datfela man and say, ‘Olketa last man hia they work for wan hour nomoa; but iu mekem them semsem withim mifela tu wea work for full day long hot sun!’ But hem ansa olsem long wanfela long olketa, ‘Man, mi no duim any rong samting long iu. Iu agree withim mi for wanfela denarius, hem tru? Tekem samting wea bilong iu and go. Mi want for givim long disfela man wea kam last sem samting olsem iu. Waswe, hem againstim law for mi duim samting wea mi wantim withim olketa samting bilong mi? Or waswe, hem badfela samting long eye bilong iu bikos mi showim aot gudfela fasin?’” Then for finisim story, Jesus talem wanfela point wea hem talem firstaem: “Long datfela way olketa wea last bae first, and olketa wea first bae last.”

They kasem denarius long Pentecost 33 C.E., no long taem wea Jesus dae, but taem Kraest, “man wea luk aftarem evri samting,” pourim aot holy spirit long olketa disaepol. They olsem olketa wea “last,” or wea start work long mek-11 hour. Datfela denarius no piksarem present bilong holy spirit, but hem samting wea olketa disaepol iusim long earth. Hem samting wea meanim laef olawe for olketa. Hem nao privilege for kamap wanfela spiritual Israelite, wea kasem anointing for preach abaotem Kingdom bilong God.

Then, olketa wea work first lukim olketa disaepol bilong Jesus kasem wages finis, and they iusim datfela tok piksa denarius. But olketa wea work first wantim moa samting winim holy spirit and olketa privilege bilong Kingdom wea join withim datwan. Way wea they complain and againstim them hem taem they persecutim olketa disaepol bilong Kraest, olketa wea “last” for work long grape plantation.

Waswe, tok piksa bilong Jesus fulfill long first century nomoa? No moa, olketa bigman bilong Kristendom long mek-20 century wea garem position and responsibility they nao “first” for work insaed tok piksa grape plantation bilong God. They ting olketa wea dedicate and preach wea join withim Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society they “last” for kasem any assignment insaed service bilong God. But olketa hia wea olketa bigman bilong religion hate-im, they nao kasem datfela denarius​—⁠honor for serve olsem anointed wan wea stand for Kingdom bilong God long heven. Matthew 19:​30–20:⁠16.

▪ Wanem nao grape plantation hem piksarem? Man wea ownim grape plantation and olketa wea work for 12 hour and 1 hour they piksarem hu?

▪ Wanem taem nao tok piksa workday hem finis, and taem wea they kasem wages?

▪ Wanem nao piksarem way wea they kasem datfela denarius olsem wages?