I want to conclude my look at Matthew by considering a statement we find in Luke (3:14): “Be satisfied with your wages.”
Jesus is talking specifically to soldiers but His counsel is useful for anyone drawing a wage. Do you think Jesus is saying this because He wants to put soldiers, or employees, in a vulnerable position? Absolutely not! He makes this statement just after warning the soldiers against practicing extortion, so no employer can use Jesus’ statement here as an excuse to pay poor wages; that’s a form of extortion and Jesus warns against that, practically in the same breath.
It is human nature to feel as if you are being short-changed. In Matthew 20:1-15, the people who work all day for a full day’s wage feel as if they are being cheated when those who work fewer hours receive the same pay. Most of us identify with the laborers who show up at the beginning of the day; but in fact, we are much more like the laborers who show up near the end of the day. If the gates of heaven are open to us, then surely we are the lucky ones who are getting a reward far greater than anything we deserve.
No matter the wage, most people will say they are under-compensated. Even the person who just got a raise is likely to be thinking about the next raise. In the commercial arena, however, it is better to focus on the work rather than the compensation. Find work that you love and become an expert at it. Do the work because it needs to be done and because you are good at it. In a free market economy, there is typically ample compensation for people who respond to need with quality.
We can more easily avoid dwelling on our own compensation if we truly accept that it is God who provides. If we understand that the purpose of work is to grow closer to God more than it is to provide for ourselves, then we can actually find satisfaction in our wages.
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