One day, cunning people decided to catch Jesus in something He said so that they could deliver Him to the authorities as a criminal. ‘And they asked Him, saying, Master, we know that Thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest Thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?’ (Luke 20:21–22). Jesus answered them and all entrepreneurs until the end of time, and He also revealed to us certain details of God’s judgment, which will be carried out upon us in the last days.
In ancient times, when conquerors occupied new territories, they collected gold, silver, and copper and minted coins from these metals bearing the image of their emperor. This money had a nominal value, and with its help people could calculate their income and their wealth. These coins circulated among the population and were used to pay wages and taxes.
In giving His answer, Jesus understood the craftiness of those who asked and said, ‘Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.’
In Matthew 20:1–16, there is an account of the Kingdom of Heaven that tells of a householder who hired laborers for his vineyard. The payment of wages became the most interesting and instructive event. Some people can watch wages being paid as tirelessly as they can watch a burning fire or flowing water. But a flagrant injustice occurred. The owner made everyone equal, although the laborers had worked differently. He decided to give everyone the same pay regardless of the number of hours they had worked. I do not think this parable should be adopted as a rule for conducting business, but a spiritual lesson can be drawn from it.
Jesus did not explain the meaning of these symbols to us, leaving it to the Holy Spirit to reveal the true meaning and significance of what was said to those who seek.
What does the denarius mean?
It can be understood as approximately the average wage of that time. In today’s Europe, that would be about one hundred euros. But the issue is not the money; it is the meaning.
Why did the Owner of the Kingdom give everyone the same pay? Perhaps there are things that cannot be divided or multiplied. But let us consider these symbols in a spiritual sense.
God has children who were born for Eternal life, and each of them, according to his strength and opportunities, performs a ministry in this world, which we shall call the vineyard.
In every Christian community, there are experienced people, those who are learning, and those who have only just been born and know and can do almost nothing. For example, the thief on the cross performed no visible work, yet his short sermon still moves people to tears and turns thousands of hearts to Christ. However, the thief himself never lived a righteous life, was never baptized, and never studied at a theological seminary, but the highest reward was promised to him: he will be in Paradise.
Paradise is the payment for faith in God that all laborers will receive, regardless of how long they worked.
I do not think we will envy those who labored less than we did and received the same thing.
Jesus is the Reward awaiting all people whose feet cross the threshold of the Heavenly Kingdom. As children of the Heavenly King, they have forever joined their lives with the One Who died for them so that they might live. The same payment is given to everyone for his labor. And God will have a special personal relationship with each of the redeemed. This reward cannot be increased or reduced. The Heavenly Denarius is indivisible.
Love and faith are Heavenly gold refined in the fire of trials. Such payment will be given to all who labor for the salvation of their neighbors and desire to have this Spirit.
This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Who is given not by measure, but according to the need of everyone who needs Him and thirsts for great victories. With regard to love, one might suppose that someone has more of it and someone else has less, but in essence it is an indivisible gift: either it is present or it is not. Perhaps there is a temporary, short-lived human nature that closely resembles the Heavenly one. Love has varying experience and periods of development, but it cannot be divided into portions and distributed by giving one person more and another less.
And all these rewards can be called the denarius of the Heavenly Kingdom.
And the images of these symbols must be reflected on the coin.
A denarius is also my character. It is what I receive for my labor for God’s glory or for my own prosperity in this world. The way I labor, understand God’s will, and fulfill it leaves its imprint upon my life. And God is very interested in whose image is depicted on the denarius that He will ask to be brought and shown to Him.
The influence of God’s Spirit, like a seal, makes an impression upon my mind, habits, and thinking. Under such influence, a spiritual and emotional establishment in the truth is formed, along with my true character, which bears God’s seal. As I live in this world and labor in God’s vineyard, I allow the Holy Spirit to make me into what pleases God. And God’s seal will be visible to all the inhabitants of Heaven. They will have no doubt that I will not repeat the rebellion or become an enemy of God.
Christ’s command in Luke 20:24, ‘Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it?’ will one day be spoken to me as well. Yes, the Lord knows who I am and what is within me, but the formality of accepting me into the Heavenly Kingdom will be observed. And Christ will ask whose image is visible in my character. The answer will then follow immediately. There are only two possible answers. Both will be heard at this judgment: Caesar’s and God’s. And Jesus will say, ‘Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.’
Someday, this event will take place in the life of each one of us. This brief question will be asked of all people. And the answer will be honest. No one will call black white or white black.
Love is the science that prepares my heart for the solemn sealing with God’s seal. The world will not be able to place its image, mark, or number upon what comes from God and belongs to Him. This war has its own rules and laws, which are observed by both sides.
And if I allow the world to place its imprint upon my consciousness or my deeds, God’s Love will not share its throne with anything unclean. It will either destroy it or depart, allowing another spirit to take its place in my heart.
I do not decide who will be in the Heavenly Kingdom and who will not, and I cannot even say this with certainty about myself. I have hope, but I also know that if I fall and do not rise again, I will be lost forever. But love is given to me so that I will not fall; and if this does happen, it is ready to help me find a quick way out and teach me to avoid such mistakes. Stepping on a rake is always painful, but stepping on the same rake repeatedly is foolish, and love teaches us to be wise in this world.
Someday it will also be said about me, ‘Show Me Andrey!’ And what will Jesus see? What image will appear before Him? Then I will no longer have anything to say in my defense or justification. Therefore, now, in this school, together with you, friends, I work out my salvation with fear and trembling, and I am very grateful to all of you for your participation and support.
I greatly desire that it may be said of all of us, ‘Render unto God the things which be God’s!’ And it will happen that we will no longer be able to change anything, nor will we desire to, for loving is more interesting.
Homework 181
What new things were revealed to you in this lesson? How were elements of God’s judgment revealed to you in the situation involving the image on the denarius? Luke 20:21–22. Why did the owner of the vineyard in the parable in Matthew 20:1–16 pay the laborers the same wage? To whom will the payment be given in our time? Who is working on your character? Who places the seal upon it? What rules and laws exist in this war of sealing? Please read John 16:7; 14:26; James 3:17–18; Matthew 20:1–16; Luke 20:20–25; Daniel 12:1, 3; Malachi 3:3–4, 16–18; Revelation 7:3; 13:8; 22:14; James 1:5–6 in the light of our lesson.