A Workman Worth His Weight in Wages

...Not By Works…

From His sermon, Jesus makes a very remarkable statement.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches. For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your soul (“psuchē), what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, what you will put on. Is not soul more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the heaven, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather in to barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much greater importance than they? Who of you by being worried can…” (Matt.6:24-27)

Remarkable not because He is encouraging His disciples to be like birds in that they scavenge for their food, but because He is trying to give them understanding as to how God looks at them.

If your Bible is like mine, a heading is placed in between verses 24 and 25 of that chapter…breaking up the underlying principle. Jesus is simply pointing out that there will always be one “master” in a person’s life/soul; and specifically the separation or distinction tends to center on God our Father versus riches or the acquisition of wealth.

Our verse 25 begins with Jesus telling those listening to His message: “For this reason I say…” The reason? What we just discussed from our verse 24: a recognition that our loyalties cannot be mixed – despite how we might try to convince ourselves otherwise.

What comes next is not Him advocating starvation and nakedness – His point is that if we obsess about WHAT should be eaten or drunk, we err; He is not denying that something needs to be – God knows we need these things. Same with clothing. Certainly God wants us to be clothed; the point is to not be worried about having the latest styles or setting fashion trends. Worrying about either of those (and most anything else) shifts our allegiance and loyalty and even our worship from Him to the thing we put ahead of Him.

This section of Jesus’ sermon ends with one of the strongest promises of (and therefore, reasons for) living a life that places God on the throne, recognizing Him as Master:

“…for your Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His justice/righteousness (“dikaiosunē”), and all these things will be provided. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for each day is its evils.” (Matt.6:32-34)

He knows! And He cares!! And He will provide!!!

I want to return to something that may be easily overlooked in the first passage. I made the change in the verse so it is not going to be apparent above: the translations usually say, “Are you not worth much more than they?”

The word behind “worth more” is a compound verb that means “to carry through, carry about, to differ, make a difference, surpass”. It looks like “diapherō” and is sourced from the primary preposition/prefix “dia” = “through, on account of, because of” and “pherō” which means “to bear, carry, bring forth”. The idea Jesus is sharing is that, to God, we are not just different than the rest of His creatures, we are significantly different. That He cares for them is evident, but we, by way of our fallen nature, are likely to overlook the evidence that He cares for us much more – that from His perspective we are of surpassing importance!

This particular insight came to my attention as I was doing some studying on the idea of “worthiness” as found in the New Testament. And though this shows as “worth much more” that is the only place it is translated that way. This, inadvertently, impacted my perception of the idea of “worthiness” in the scriptures, which reminded me of the importance of researching the original language and source words – especially when something strikes me as being a bit incongruent with principles found throughout the Bible.

Allow me to fill in some of the gaps, since I have started in the middle, touched a bit on the end and then noted the beginning of my research without actually sharing the primary premise and intended purpose.

I was following through on the statement made in a passage that was part of my preparation of the post regarding the seventy to be sent out: “the workman is worthy of his wages.”

In the context (Luke 10:17 – as Jesus discusses the mission and methods for the seventy) it makes perfect sense; as long as we understand what each of the words really mean. Let’s take a look.

WORKMAN

Of those three “w’s” in the statement – the easy one to understand is “workman”. It looks like “ergatēs” and means “a workman”. It is a derivative of the verb “ergon”, that means “work” and that comes from a word not found in the New Testament (“erdō” = “to do”).

However, the other two words include (as alluded above) some room for clarification.

WORTHY

The word looks like “axios”. It is a derivative of the word “agō” which is a primary verb that means “to lead, bring, carry” and is a synonym of the source word we noted above (“pherō”) from Matt.6:27 (a connection that might have influenced how the translation from the sermon was determined).

With some research on the original (“axios”) the etymology leads directly toward the idea of the equivalency of an item on a scale as compared to the standardized weight. So, for example, the equality of the grain in the one pan with the “just” weight in the other. When the grain offsets the just weight, the amount is “worthy” – it has proven its worth.

As a bit of an aside: There are some very strong consequences given by the Lord regarding weights and measurements – knowing our tendencies to try and manufacture advantages for our own purposes. For example:

“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah (dry measurement) and a just hin (liquid measurement); I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall thus observe all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the LORD.” (Lev.19:35-37; see also Deut.25:13-16; Prov.11:1; Micah 6:11)

(The passage in Deut.25 ends with this: “For everyone who does these things (using differing weights and measures), everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God.”)

We can draw from those passages the idea that the Lord, when declaring a thing or a person as “worthy”, is noting two specifics: alignment with the established (by God) standard; and equivalence to the required measurement. So, a workman who is worthy is one who both possesses the ability to perform the assigned task but can also do so at the required level of effort and competency.

An example of this term in a context that might be easy to misunderstand can be found in Matt.3:8. Here, John the Immerser is speaking to the Jewish leaders who have come to be immersed for the forgiveness of their sins. His comments to them:

“You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruit in keeping (“axios” = “worthy, of equivalent weight”) with repentance (“metanoia”); and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.” (Matt.3:7-9)

John is pointing out that true repentance will produce something real, something noticeable and measurable. And that the fruit that should be produced is not the result of pedigree or position; but it is instead that which is equivalent to the degree of (“metanoia”) mind change, the rethinking of one’s position and priorities.

There are also the words of Jesus:

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy (“axios”) of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy (“axios”) of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy (“axios”) of Me. He who has found life/soul will lose it, and he who has lost his life/soul for My sake will find it. (Matt.10:37-39)

Again, it is important that we note His words and His intent. Jesus is not saying that we should not love our fathers and mothers or our sons and daughters. He is saying that we should not love them (or anything for that matter) more than we love Him. That to do otherwise puts the scale off balance – because He has loved us more than even His ongoing fellowship with the Father!

Paul gives his personal assessment to those in Rome:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy (“axios”) when compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. (Rom.8:18-19)

Whatever we go through (this coming from the man who was beaten times without number, received 39 lashes three times from the Jews, was stoned and left for dead, was shipwrecked multiple times, etc.) does not even begin to measure up to what awaits us when we are revealed in His glory; when this mortal puts on immortality – a day and time that all of creation eagerly awaits with us!

WAGES

Believe it or not, this may be the most misunderstood of the three words in the phrase. Though that would be the result of the times it is translated other than as we see it here.

The word in the Greek is “misthos”, a primary noun that means “wages, hire”. Despite that however, of the 29 times it is used in the New Testament, 19 of those are translated “rewards”.

From Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary:

Wages = “a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis. Syn. Include salary, stipend, fee, pay, hire emolument – shared meaning element being the price paid for service or labor.”

Reward = “something that is given in return for good or evil done or received and especially that is offered or given for some service or attainment.” (The closer Greek word for this (as seen in Matt.6:4: “…so that your mercy will be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you) is “apodidōmi” which means “to give up, give back, return”.)

When we read the verses (a sample of which follow) inserting the actual, common meaning of “misthos”, it puts a different impact to what we are being told.

(Just before we review those examples, it may help if we examine a passage that Paul included to those in Rome that especially highlights what I think we will find helped to motivate the common mis-translation.)

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wage (“misthos”) is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account.” (Rom.4:1-8)

Paul is speaking here of what it takes to have one’s sins and iniquities recompensed, propitiated, and removed from the official record: faith. That is clearly the case – it is by grace that we are saved not by works so that no one can boast (not to mention that none of us can actually work enough to offset our debts to God!).

But, as we will see, there is another side of the walk that we are living out. And for that walk – the life we live after we have been regenerated by the grace of God through our faith in Christ Jesus – there is found, in the words of Jesus and the New Testament writers, an undeniable concept of a “just weight” when it comes to our “labors”.

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward “misthos” in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt.5:11-12)

(As you noticed, I struck through the word “reward” and replaced it with the Greek transliteration. Doing so helps force us to think through the implications of the usage of the original.)

This is Jesus speaking during His sermon on the mount near Chorazin. He is telling the people that being insulted and persecuted falsely because of Him, is to be considered a cause for rejoicing: “for your wage in heaven is great.” That in fact, they are being treated just as the prophets of old were treated! I want to emphasize that their stated condition is that of those who have already accepted Him as Messiah. That their wages are not what give them access to the presence of God but are the means of compensation once they are there. And though we are not told in this passage what those wages might be, it can be accepted that they will be paid.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward“misthos” do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt.5:43-48)

Though this continues as a part of His sermon, there is a slight twist in the use of “wages”. In this excerpt Jesus is noting that doing only what the tax collectors and Gentiles do adds nothing to the “account”. But then He brings what many find to be a very challenging statement as the standard to which they are to strive to attain: the “perfection” of the Father.

Not discounting the rigor implied in Jesus’ words – any comparison to the Father should incite us to humility knowing that we cannot hope to achieve His level of anything! But the adjective Jesus uses should be understood to mean “having reached its end, i.e. complete”; it is sourced from the noun that means “an end, a toll” – suggesting the price paid at the end of a journey. I read this as Jesus pointing to the fact that when we find ourselves in His presence we are complete and should therefore (being confident of this truth) should show, during this journey, the same kind of love as the Father in heaven shows.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward “misthos” with your Father who is in heaven.

“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward “misthos” in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward (“apodidōmi”) you.

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward “misthos” in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward (“apodidōmi”) you. (Matt.6:1-6)

“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward “misthos” in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward (“apodidōmi”) you. (Matt.6:16-18)

The general context remains the same for these two passages in that Jesus is speaking to the listeners as those who have accepted Him as Messiah. That said, the specific context here is very ecumenical – meaning He shifts from the general behaviors (maybe even “marketplace” actions) to those that would be directly related to their religious service. In that setting, to be noticed of men does not account for anything with the Father – even if your earthly deeds would be considered righteous.

Jesus gives three specific examples – that of giving to the poor, of praying to the Father, and of fasting. In these instances (though it may apply to other religious activities), Jesus speaks of a “giving back or returning” from the Father as an offset to the foregoing of the “wages” that come from being recognized by men.

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward “misthos”; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward “misthos”. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward “misthos”.” (Matt.10:40-42)

The setting of this next passage is a change from the first four; this is drawn from Matthew’s version of the sending out of the twelve. As noted in the post from 7/8 discussing the seventy sent ones, Matthew goes into significantly greater detail regarding their mission methods. I believe that he did so, at least in part, because his target audience were the Jewish people, a probability that is supported by the sixty-some references to Old Testament prophecies and forty-some direct quotes. Also, though there is some debate, if Matthew’s version was the first to be disseminated, having the details of the “twelve” would further justify a lesser review by those that followed, whose audiences were primarily Gentiles.

(You may remember that the passage just before this one (10:37-39) was reviewed as we were working through the meaning of “worthy”. The two passages, other than being a part of the broad preparation that Matthew describes for the twelve sent ones, do not seem to interconnect at all.)

The entire chapter reviews Jesus’ instructions, ending with this paragraph. The theme here was seen in Luke’s review of the 70 sent ones – a chain of authority/blessing – mirroring precisely Luke 10:16: “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” Here Jesus continues the thought with the implications of the wages that are received by those who receive a man of God.

[The last phrase is intriguing in that it seems to suggest that the act of giving water to the “small, lesser” ones (maybe implying those of humble means) is of unique value. What comes next in the story (John’s question from prison regarding Jesus’ works) might suggest that He is actually thinking of His cousin – though that is clearly speculation on my part.]

To round out our review of passages that translate “misthos” as “reward” instead of “wages or hire” we will review a Pauline passage and close with one from John’s second epistle.

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward“misthos” according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward “misthos”. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1Cor.3:5-15)

The past-tense reference to Apollos suggests that this letter was written (or at least completed) after Apollos returned to Ephesus while Paul was there teaching for two years in the school of Tyrannus (note 1Cor.16:11). This matters because some try to make it out that Paul is demeaning Apollos; that they were in competition. In reality he is simply noting the obvious, for those of the kingdom of God, our various gifts and abilities bring with them commensurate but varying wages. The basis, the foundations are determined by God Himself. The final statement confirms the thought – one’s salvation is not dependent on the wages one earns; but the lasting implications of any work done does influence the compensation, which by context suggest temporal wages (as opposed to eternal).

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward “misthos”. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2John 7-11)

Apart from the letters to the congregations in the seven cities of Asia Minor dictated to John from Jesus and included with the Revelation of Jesus Christ as our Near Kinsman, the second and third epistles of John were some of the last of the canon to be written.

Though addressed to “the chosen lady and her children” of Ephesus, it may be an allusion to the congregation of that city. If he is writing to a woman within the congregation it would be the only letter of the New Testament written solely to a woman. Either way, his emphasis on the commandment of love that Jesus gave before His crucifixion and his joy in hearing that some of her “children” were walking in the truth leads to his warning regarding the deceivers.

These are those who did not believe that Jesus had come as a man but had only “appeared” as one. It is what is referred to as Docetism, originating from the Greek word “dokeō” which means “to seem or appear”. Some believe it was a philosophical attempt by adherents of Plato or even Epicurus to reconcile the inherent evil of “flesh” or even matter with the sinlessness of Jesus.

Both here and in 1John 4:2-3 John warns that this doctrine is contrary to Christ and comes from the deceiver. Staying true to the truth of the incarnation, John notes, will allow her to take part in her full wage. (The context suggests that this is a particular promise for her walk with the Lord, as opposed to a part of her eternal wages.)

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Arguably the best explanation of the “economy” of wages or “rewards” and gifts can be found in the comparison of the kingdom of heaven to the landowner who went out to hire laborers for his vineyard. (“Arguably” because in the summary of the story Jesus points to a related but different primary principle of the comparison being made; the subtext is however insightful for this post’s purposes.)

I have included the entire parable for ease of access and review:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay (“apodidōmi”) them their wages (“misthos”), beginning with the last group to the first.’ When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ So the last shall be first, and the first last.” (Matt.20:1-16)

The lesson within the lesson is that the owner of the vineyard sets the wage, and in this case, chooses to base it on a set amount of money not on time or effort or even output.

We have just reviewed a number of passages that speak of our wages.

We know that our access to the kingdom of heaven is by grace, a free gift of ransom paid by Jesus. Our only responsibility is to accept His offer by expressing our confidence in Him.

We know that the wages (“misthos”) of a laborer are not seen as a favor but as that which is earned and therefore due to the workman.

We know that there are also gifts or rewards, some of which we receive in this life and others, it would appear, await us when we arrive to stand in the presence of the Lord.

That said, if you are like me you have heard more than one sermon suggest that the landowner’s wage is referring to salvation and the fact that even those who turn to Christ at the end of their lives will be allowed into heaven – and though that is true, we know that that cannot be the comparison being made in Jesus’ story.

The wages paid, if I can say it this way, are for the “deeds” we do after we have been born again. Those things that result from choosing to live our lives in alignment with the standards He set when He made us in His Image and Likeness. We are not saved by works; we are however called to good works!

Simply put: I can still spend eternity with Him, based on the gift of grace that I receive, even if I choose unwisely after being born again. Even if I fail to live up to the standard of “worthiness” to which I have been called.

For saints to choose, as John put it, to “watch yourselves” or, as Paul puts it, to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” does not affect their status in eternity (meaning there is no hierarchy among the kingdom of priests) – all whose names are in the Book of Life will reign with Him. What it changes is their testimony to the world and to the body of Christ at large during this life!

Again, Paul refers to this as our reasonable or rational service of worship – (“this” being to present ourselves as living and sanctified sacrifices; not being conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds). Why? So that we might demonstrate what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and brings us to the end! (Rom.12:1-2)

And when we do, we not only produce the fruit of the Spirit, we can count on the Gift of the Holy Spirit (Who is our earnest agreement for our eternal destiny) to be present and active in our daily lives.

The New Testament, as well as the Old, are filled with stories and lessons of those who, while in covenant relationship, choose to walk in the flesh. We all, in fact, make that choice on occasion. But His desire for us is that we walk in the Light, even as He is in the Light – and in doing so to have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin! (1John 1:7)

I pray that we would all be workers worthy of His proffered wage!