Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man [that is] an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

As usual, Christ does not portray the kingdom of heaven as the afterlife, but as the natural order of things. Here, God is the householder. He runs a business. He is an employer. Wealth may offer a problem for people, but Christ never says anything negative about running a business and employing people to do productive work.

If we are to take Christ's words at face value, which is the whole point of this blog, we would have to think that by acquiring property, starting a business, and creating productive work for people, we are in a way emulating what God is doing in the universe.

"Householder" is from oikodespotês , which is literally the "master of the house." Its root is "from oikia, which means "building," "house," "family," and "household."

"Hire" is from misthoô, which means to "offer to rent for hire," "to make a contract for hire,"

"Labourers" is from ergatês, which means "workman," "one who practices an art," a "doer," and a "producer."

"Vineyard" is from ampelôn, which means simply "vineyard."