In 1918, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside of Compiegne, France.  World War I left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, and at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure.

“Words from Above” in the Bible speak about the eleventh hour in Matthew 20:9, and it is part of a parable called the Parable of the Vineyard.  In this parable the kingdom of heaven is compared to a vineyard owner who hires workers for his vineyard early in the morning, for a penny for the day.  The day would normally begin at 6:00 A. M. and end after twelve hours.  He would usually find available workers in the local marketplace.

Three hours later, six hours later, and nine hours later he returned to the marketplace to hire additional workers, most likely in order to complete the work all in the same day.  Finally, he returned at the eleventh hour to hire workers one last time.  At the end of the day the owner sent his steward to pay the workers, beginning with those who were hired last.  It turned out that all the workers were paid the same, which caused those who worked longer to complain.

The point of the parable is that no matter how late in life people make the decision to become a follower of God, they all are eligible for the same reward of being admitted into heaven.  Some might likewise complain that they followed the Lord for a much longer time in their lives, but this is the way it is with the kingdom of heaven. 

The idea of the eleventh hour also can refer to the very last moment before an event might occur.  When it comes to the kingdom of heaven, it is definitely not advisable to wait until the eleventh hour to make the decision to follow the Lord.  Many people have the idea that they can wait until later in life to make this decision, but unfortunately their life ends unexpectedly and they run out of time. 

The apostle Paul tells his readers in I Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”  I remember well a man who was in the hospital in serious condition, and when I tried to talk to him about his spiritual condition, he told me that when he was ready to talk to me about it, he would let me know.  Two hours later he was gone, and the Lord alone knows whether he made peace with Him.

        Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For information, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.