As to the
difference of reward for the righteous, it would seem at
first glance that Matthew 20:1-16 indicates the same reward
for all who receive eternal life in the world to come,
which had been the closing topic of Matthew 19:23-30 and
Mark 10:23-31. But on closer examination it will be noted
that at the close of Matthew 20:1-16 it is stated, "So the
last shall be first, and the first last," which is slightly
different from the close of 19:23-30, namely: "But
many shall
be last that are first, and first that are last." Yet the
second seems to have a relation to the first, by
immediately following it and being introduced by "for"
though not duplicated in Mark.
The situation in the
first is related to the men chosen by the Christ to be his
apostles to the world after he returns to heaven, who were
keenly rank conscious, each seeming to want to be first or
as nearly so as possible in his coming kingdom (see Matthew
18:1-4; 20:28; Mark 9:33-35; 10:35-45; Luke 9:46-48). So,
on numerous occasions he taught them that is not rank but
service that makes men great in heaven's sight. (See
Matthew 23:1-12 for a public discourse also along this line
in the temple in Jerusalem on Tuesday of crucifixion week,
and John 13:1-17 for an object lesson along this same line
to the apostles the last night with them before his
crucifixion the nest day.) And Matthew 19:23-30; Mark
10:23-31, mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, represents
a previous effort to emphasize to the apostles that one
might think himself, or be thought by others in this world,
to be first
in his class, yet not necessarily be such in
the world to come. He might even be last. But the purpose
could hardly have been to say that the apostles, all or
them, would be last, or all of necessarily equal
reward.
But, if Matthew 19:30 is
not intended to say that all the apostles would be last, or
all receive the same reward, in the world to come, how
could 20:16 have any relation to the preceding?
Some would apply
19:30 to
the apostles (who were
Jews), as indicting that their being among Christ’s
earliest disciples even among the Jews would not within
itself give them a higher standing in the eternal phase of
the kingdom of heaven (which surely is true). And in like
manner they would apply 20:16 to all Jews as a class, as
indicating that their being called into the kingdom before
the Gentiles (see Romans 1:16) would not within itself
prevent the latter from enjoying equal standing and reward
in the kingdom (which is surely also true) – which by the
Jews might be thought to be preferential treatment – and on
earth did actually come to make them first in the sense of
becoming more numerous in the kingdom than the Jews and
thus occupy a place of comparative prominence because of
disbelief in Christ on the part of all but a remnant of the
Jews, as per Romans 9:11.
But granting such as
representing said group situations
factually in no wise destroys the foregoing application of
Matthew 19:30 to individual situations
inherent in "many" being last in the world to come that are
first in this world, and first that are last. By the same
token, whether Jews or Gentiles, will be equally rewarded
in every respect, as will now be noted.
For example, the apostle
Paul who said of himself, "we are hard pressed on every
side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not destroyed
– always carrying about in our body the dying of the Lord
Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our
body. For we who live are always delivered to death for
Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested
in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:8-11, New King James
Version), also said: "Therefore we do not loose heart. Even
though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is
being renewed from day to day. For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, is working for us a
far more
exceeding and eternal weight of
glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at
the things which are not seen. For the things which are
seen are temporary, but the
things which are not seen are eternal"
(vs.16-18).
One would think that if
Paul had died immediately after conversion to Christ, he
would have had eternal glory in the world to come. But he
believed what he was doing and suffering for Christ was
working for him much greater glory, which would hardly seem
likely if there is no difference in degrees of reward.
Christ had said, "Blessed are ye when men shall reproach
you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against
you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
for great
is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets that were before you" (Matthew
5:11-12).
In Revelation 15:2-3,
John describes a scene he beheld in heaven as being of
"them that come off victorious from the beast, and from his
image, and from the number of his name, standing by the sea
of glass, having harps of God. And they sing the song of
Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb." Does
that not indicate an aspect of glory for Moses and the Lamb
(Christ) that the rest of us do not, or will not
have?
And in Revelation 21:14,
John again describes a part of the vision he was given of
the eternal city, New Jerusalem, thus: "And the wall of the
city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve
names of
the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
Does that not also indicate an aspect of glory for the
apostles that none of the rest of us will have?
Some of Jesus’ judgment
parables also seem to suggest different degrees of reward.
In the parable of the Talents, the faithful five-talent and
two-talent servants who doubled their lord’s money in his
absence seems to have allowed to remain in charge of their
entire respective amounts (which were not the same but more
than to begin with in both instances) besides entrance for
both otherwise, it would seem, into the "joys" of their
lord; and the now ten-talent man, was given the talent
taken from the unfaithful one-talent man, "For," said
Jesus, unto every one that hath shall be given, and he
shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that
which he hath shall be taken away" (Matthew 25:14-30). In
eternity "his servants shall serve him" (Revelation 22:3),
and "reign for ever and ever" (v.5), but have varying
scopes of responsibility and service –as indicated by the
following.
And in Luke 19:11-27 is
another parable, uttered for a different purpose but
containing as element similar to that in the foregoing. In
this instance a nobleman upon making a journey into a far
country delivered ten pounds (or minas, said to be
equal to about three month’s salary) to ten of his servants
to trade with in his absence. Upon his return, one had
gained ten pounds more, another had gained five pounds
more, and one had just kept his pound without attempting to
gain more. In this case, the first was rewarded by being
placed over ten cities, the second by being placed over
five cities, and the third had his one talent taken away
and given to the servant that had the ten pounds. But the
two that were rewarded were promoted, not equally, but
equitably.
And such seemingly will
be true of the righteous in the world to come – rewarding
according to their works. "He that receiveth a prophet in
the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets reward: and
he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a
righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And
whosoever shall give a drink unto one of these little ones
a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily
I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward for his
deed" – an emphatic way of saying he would certainly be
rewarded for such (Matthew 11:40-42). Quantity alone is not
all that will count. Mark tell that on one occasion Jesus
"sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the
multitudes cast money into the treasury: and many that were
rich cast in much. And there came a poor widow, and she
cast in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called
unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that
are casting into the treasury: for they all did cast in of
their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that
she had, even all her living" (12:41-41).
As for the unrighteous,
some will "receive greater damnation" (Matthew 23:14; Mark
12:40; Luke 20"47, King James Version). Some will be
beaten, as it were, "with many stripes," and others "with
few stripes," according to degree of culpability (Luke
12:41-48). Again, some will suffer "sorer punishment" than
others because of the nature of their sin (Hebrews
10:28-29). And for some it will be "more tolerable" in the
judgment than for others because in the difference in
opportunity (Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 10:13-15). So
punishment will not all be equal, but
equitable.
Cecil
N. Wright