Reading: Matthew chapter 20 verses 1-16.
One of the first expressions we learn as children is, “That’s not fair.”
• One thing that life seems to teach us, is that this statement is right;
• Life doesn’t seem to be fair. In fact it seems to be quite the opposite of fair.
Ill:
Just think about one area of life – employment.
• Many people have been turned down for jobs;
• That they were more than capable of doing because;
• They may have been disabled in some way.
• Or because of the colour of their skin.
• Other people have been turned down for jobs they have been more than capable of doing;
• Because they were considered too old.
• Others have often been denied employment because they were under qualified.
• Others because they were over qualified!
• Others were denied a promotion because they were the wrong gender.
• Or for other political correct reasons.
Ill:
• We have a saying;
• It is not what you know in life but who you know that counts.
• Many have found good employment,
• Because of family ties rather than qualifications.
Ill:
• There’s a story about a Jewish man;
• Who applied to work for First International Bank of Israel;
• That bank asked for a letter of recommendation;
• And the young Jewish man put down his Rabbi to be the reference.
• The Rabbi wrote, ‘His father came from the distinguished ‘Goldburg’ family;
• His mother was from the respected ‘Abraham’s’.
• Further back there was a happy blend of ‘Rosengurg’s, Stienburg’s & Levenburg’s”,
• In other words this young man is from good Jewish stock.
• Several days later the First International Bank of Israel,
• Sent a note to the Rabbi saying:
• The information supplied was altogether inadequate. It continued:
• “We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just for work.”
It’s true to say, that many have found good employment:
• Because of family ties rather than qualifications.
• The cold fact is; the more you examine life, the more you realise that life isn’t fair!
THE GOOD NEWS HOWEVER IS THAT GOD IS FAIR.
• But there is a problem;
• God’s ways our not our ways;
Quote: Isaiah the prophet who wrote (chapter 55 verse 9):
"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts”.
• Don’t forget that God can see the big picture, he is omniscient,
• And that is something we humans can only dream about.
• Often, he doesn’t operate according to our limited understanding.
• But ultimately his way is always perfect, fair and right!
Ill:
While on a trip to Switzerland,
• An America businessman was watching a Swiss clockmaker;
• As he carved out the case of an ornate cuckoo clock.
• As the businessman watched the clockmaker carve out the case,
• He was astounded at his slow rate of progress.
• The businessman finally said,
• “My good man, you’ll never make much money that way.”
• “Sir,” the clockmaker replied,
• “I’m not making money, I’m making cuckoo clocks.”
Question: Did you notice the difference in the two men’s goals?
Answer:
• The businessman was after the pay check;
• And the clock maker was after the joy of a job well done.
• Like that clock maker God often has a different agenda to us;
• And being the craftsman, he works his way to create something of value!
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD IS A GOD OF GRACE:
• That is a quality that we struggle to understand as humans.
• God treats people in ways we never would.
Quote: A Definition:
GRACE IS EVERYTHING FOR NOTHING
TO THOSE WHO DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING
Ill:
• In a small cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England,
• Stands a granite tombstone with this inscription:
“John Newton, clerk [pastor],
once an infidel & Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa,
was, by the rich mercy of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long laboured to destroy.”
• Not everyone remembers his name,
• But both Christian and non-Christian;
• Know at least one of the 200 songs he wrote as a testimony of his life:
• “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!”
Ill:
• An artist once submitted painting of Niagara Falls to an exhibition;
• It captured the endless supply of water just flowing over the edge of the falls.
• But the artist who submitted the painting;
• Did not give the painting a title.
• So the gallery came up with what they considered to be an appropriate title:
• They called it “More to Follow.”
I think that is a great picture of God’s grace:
• Here you have Niagara Falls, which ever since we can remember;
• Has been spilling billions of gallons of water per year.
• More than meting the needs of those below,
• As a good picture of God’s grace.
• There is always “More to Follow,”
• You can never exhaust God’s grace there is always “More to Follow,”
God’s grace is the main theme of this great parable:
• The story is sandwiched between two Bible verses that are almost identical.
• Chapter 19 verse 30 & chapter 20 verse 16.
• “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”.
• “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
God’s way of working is often the complete opposite of human approaches:
• The original hearers of this story Jesus told;
• Would have had no difficulty identifying with this story.
• The situation Jesus described was not an unfamiliar one;
• Many poor men would have found themselves in a similar situation.
• These workers were unskilled at a trade;
• And were near the bottom of the social-economic scale.
• In fact, many lived at a level not far above beggars.
• They worked from job to job, many of which lasted no more than a day.
• Because they had no guarantee of work beyond what they might be doing at the time,
• They would gather in the market place before dawn to be available for hiring.
(A). A simple story (3 things to note):
(1). Men hired in the morning (vs 1-2):
• Those first hired.
• Worked hard for about 11 hours
• Working in a vineyard was not easy work.
• At harvest time, the grapes had to be picked, often in temperatures of 100 degrees or more.
• That meant that these workers they had endured the hot burning sun upon them all day
• And at the end of the day they were paid what they agreed - one denarius
(2). Men hired in the late afternoon (vs 3-4)
• Those men who were hired last;
• Only worked for about one hour.
• That meant they had missed almost all of the days shift;
• Yet, to their delight, they too were also paid one denarius!
(3). Master who decided their pay (vs 2-4)
• The one who hired the men was the vineyard owner himself and not another employee.
• It was his idea to hire the men.
• And his idea to pay them the same amount of many,
• Despite the shorter working days.
(B). A simple Meaning.
(1). The landowner is God.
• This not just a story about some eccentric land owner in a vineyard;
• Verse 1: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner…”
• The landowner pictured in this parable;
• Is a picture of a generous God.
• A God who deals with us in grace;
• By that I mean he gives us what we do not deserve.
(2). The vineyard represents conversion.
• This land owner represents God;
• The vineyard represents those who have some time come into his employment.
Notice:
• That there are two groups of workers:
• Those hired early who went to work after negotiating a wage;
• And those hired later who went to work without a contract,
• Choosing to trust the goodness of the master.
By this term employment, we mean ‘conversion’:
• Like John Newton who we mentioned earlier;
• We realise that we need forgiveness for the sin in our lives.
• And realise we can not earn it,
• It must be a gift from God, that gift is called ‘grace’.
Quote: A Definition:
GRACE IS EVERYTHING FOR NOTHING
TO THOSE WHO DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING
Ill:
• Many will have heard of, many here will have read ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’;
• The classic book by John Bunyan.
• We all know that ‘Pilgrim’ is the main character in the book.
• But not many people can remember his name before his conversion.
• It was ‘Graceless’.
• A Christian is someone who has received God’s grace.
Ill:
• During the Spanish-American War,
• Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in Cuba.
• One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her,
• He wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders.
• But she refused to sell him any.
• Roosevelt was perplexed.
• His men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds.
• When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies,
• He was told, “Colonel, just ask for it!”
• Then a smile broke over Roosevelt’s face.
• Now he understood—the provisions were not for sale.
• All he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely.
So by using that term employment, we mean ‘conversion’:
• We realise that we need forgiveness for the sin in our lives.
• We place our faith not in our own goodness or good works.
• But we place our faith in the person & work of Jesus Christ.
• Quote: Rock of ages.
Not the labours of my hands
can fulfil thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Saviour, or I die.
• As we realise we can not earn our salvation,
• We realise it must be a gift from God, that gift is called ‘grace’.
(3). The morning workers represent long-term believers.
• I mean those who have been on the path way for many, many years.
• May be they were converted as children.
Ill:
• The American evangelist of a previous generation D.L. Moody;
• Arrived home one night after a mission, and someone asked him,
• “How many people were converted”.
• "Two and a half" replied moody,
• "Two and a half ? you mean two adults and a child"
• "No two children and an adult" replied Moody,
• "How come" asked the friend,
• "Well the children have their whole lives left for Jesus, the adult only half".
So in this parable - the morning workers.
• Represent those who have spent many years following Jesus Christ.
• Maybe those who were converted as children or teenagers.
Did you know!
• Statistics have shown that a huge 85% of people coming to Christ;
• Do so before the age of 23 (average age 15).
• The most common age is 15.
• Yet only 7% of those under 18 yrs of age have any regular contact with ‘organised religion’
(c). The afternoon workers represent short-term believers.
• I mean those who have been on the Christian pathway for only a few years.
• Those who trusted Christ late on in their lives.
Ill:
• Death-bed confessions.
• Thief on the cross.
• Remember the story there were two thieves crucified with Jesus;
• But only one was saved!
• “One thief was saved in order that no-one despair,
• One thief was lost in order that no-one dare presume.”
It is possible to offer Christ to a dying person:
• But that also involves risks;
• Because no=one knows when that day will com!
ill:
“The clock of life is wound but once
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop,
At late or early hour.
To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed.
To lose one’s health is more.
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore”
Quote:
“Those who leave their salvation to the 11’th hour,
normally die at 10.30!”
• The most important thing in life is to make sure that we are saved!
• This ought to be our life’s number one priority!
ill:
• The famous Sculptor John Bacon is buried in Westminster Abbey:
• There is an inscription on his tomb which reads:
“What I was as an artist seemed of some importance to me while I lived;
but what I was as a believer in Jesus Christ is the only thing of importance to me now.”
(4). The Payment represents salvation:
• Remember these workers were already in the vineyard.
• So they are not trying to earn their salvation! That would be impossible!
• The emphasis in the story is not on the payment as such;
• But on the equality of payment.
verse 8,
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.”
• The typical mode of payment back then was “first come first served.”
• Once again Jesus turns it around to, “last come first served.”
• I’m sure those who worked all day;
• Were annoyed and angry with those who had turned up late.
verses 9-10:
“The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.”
• Because of human nature,
• We can imagine how the labourers who worked all day felt,
• They had worked longer;
• So the natural thought would be, they were going to get much more than the others.
• However, their hopes were dashed.
• When they too received the same pay – one denarius.
verses 11-12: The workers complain:
“When they received their pay, they protested, 12`Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.”
verses 13-15: The Owner Responds:
"He answered one of them, `Friend, I haven't been unfair! Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14Take it and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be angry because I am kind?'
• The vineyard owner reminds the workers that he did not short-change anybody.
• He had made a fair contract with his workers, in fact it was very generous.
Ill:
• These workers were promised the pay of a denarius.
• This was the wage of a Roman soldier.
• While this might not mean much to us,
• Bit it meant a great deal to those listening.
• Being a Roman soldier was not the most glorious or prestigious job,
• But it was much higher up the social ladder than the common labourer.
• As such, the promise of a denarius to these workers would have been quite generous.
• And so they quickly agreed to this rate with great eagerness!
• At the start of the day they knew they had landed a plum position;
• By working on this vineyard.
• Had they not seen what the owner paid the latter group of workers;
• They would have gone home more than contented.
The point is this:
• What the landowner paid other labourers,
• Or what the landowner did with his own money was no business of anyone else.
• In fact, if the landowner had wanted to give half of his wealth to one of the workers,
• It was his right to do so, after all it was his money!
Verse 16: Then Jesus brings the parable to its appropriate end:
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
• In God’s economy,
• Things are often just the opposite of what we expect.
• Ultimately it matters not so much when a person trusts Christ for salvation;
• As long as that person does trust Christ for salvation!
Remember:
• The “problem” in this parable it is not the injustice of a mean and cruel landowner.
• The problem is the scandal of a gracious and loving farmer.
• The landowner paid very generous wages to the first group of men hired.
• But to their annoyance he was also very generous to the next group of men he hired.
We could call this parable – ‘The parable of the generous employer!’
• In God’s kingdom no one is first, and no one is last.
• I’m not better than you and you’re no better than me.
• You’re no worse than I am and I’m no worse than you are.
• We’re all covered (we are all equal) by the grace of Christ.
At the start of this sermon I mentioned that:
• This story is sandwiched between two Bible verses that are almost identical.
• But there is a big difference between the two verses.
• Chapter 19 verse 30:
• “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”.
• Chapter 20 verse 16.
• “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Jesus reverses the order:
• He is making the same point but he cleverly reverses the order of the words;
• So that the first and the lasts, and the lasts and firsts all blur together.
• By doing this;
• No-one! Whether they be first or last actually have an advantage over anyone else!
• It’s as if Jesus is trying to make the point
• That first and last don’t matter any more in the kingdom of God.
• What matters is that you are there!
• E.g. Chapter 19 – children & rich young ruler & disciples.
Punch line:
• Are you ready to face your maker!
• E.g. Chapter 19 – children & rich young ruler & disciples.
