What are you worth? I mean, really, how do you figure out what you are worth as a person? If you are #7 NFL Draft pick Bryant McKinnie the answer is easy. He’s in negotiations now with the Minnesota Vikings. He says it’s easy to sign him:
"All I’m asking is for a fair deal. And that’s real simple. All you do is give me a deal that’s the average between the sixth pick and the eighth pick, and there you go."
Ryan Sims, the 6th pick signed a 13 million dollar deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. The 8th pick, Roy Williams, got about 10 million dollars from the Dallas Cowboys – so that would make McKinnie’s price point 11.5 million.
And that is often how we measure our worth as well – if the guy just a little better than me got this much, and the guy just a little worse than me got that much – then I ought to be worth something in the middle.
We even play that game with God. If the guy who’s just a little more righteous than I, or has been a Christian a little longer than me gets blessed in this way – and the guy who is a little less righteous than I, or has been a Christian a little less time than I gets blessed that much – then I ought to get something in the middle.
The problem with that kind of reckoning is that God’s economy doesn’t work the same ours does – and God’s kingdom, and His blessings don’t work in the way we think they ought to. As Americans we especially thing everything should be absolutely fair – but God doesn’t often play by our rule book – and He is NOT, despite popular belief, an American.
So today we come to a story that Jesus tells us that outlines God’s strategy for dealing with people. It’s very instructive – and in light of all the parables Jesus has been teaching through these last few chapters – gives us real insight into the type of people that populate God’s kingdom.
20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ’You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ’Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 "’Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
"He said to them, ’You also go and work in my vineyard.’
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.’
9 "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12’These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ’and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
13 "But he answered one of them, ’Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Let’s set a little historical background for this story. In those days there were three classes of workers – day laborers who waited each day for work, owners of small plots of land who needed to supplement their income – and drifters looking to pick up an odd job or two.
During harvest the crops had to be picked quickly – and the day started early – about 6 am. That’s the first hour, sunrise (or "early in the day"). The wage for a day’s work was a denarius. So the day laborers would have been waiting to work all day and would have expected that wage for the work.
A few hours later – around 9am, the landowner would go back out to hire more and would find those that had some land that they were working for themselves. These men would have spent the morning harvesting their own small plots, then would need more work. These workers would have expected less than a full day’s wage – and the landowner says "I’ll pay you a fair wage." He repeats this at noon, and 3pm.
Later on – about five o’clock – he goes back out again to find whoever is left over in the labor pool because he’s got to get the crops in. These might be the idlers – the lazy – but who still responded to the call for workers. "Why aren’t you working?" he says – "we haven’t found a job yet," they answer – and he tells them to go work with no promise of a wage at all.
In those days the law required workers to be paid that same day – partly because many people lived from hand to mouth and that denarius they earned today would feed them immediately. So even though the 5 o’clock people wouldn’t expect to earn very much, perhaps it would be enough for dinner for their family.
When time came to pay up – the landowner gave to each the same amount – to those who had worked all day, a day’s wage – but to those who should have received less, he also gave a full day’s wage. The one’s who received what they didn’t deserve were happy – but those who got what was coming to them, what they had earned – were mad.
"If you paid them a denarius, then we deserve more," they said – even though they had agreed to work for that amount.
The parable teaches a very simple, yet profound lesson – that God, the land owner, gives grace, forgiveness, salvation – to anyone who answers His call, no matter when they answer.
Interestingly – Jewish teachers of the day used a similar story – except that in their version the Jews were those who came to work earlier and received more money than the Gentiles – who were those who came at the last hour.
Sometimes those who feel they deserve God’s blessing through their length of time spent with him, or by their heritage or pedigree should realize God doesn’t play favorites.
You may have walked with Him for decades – but that doesn’t mean He won’t give the same blessings and the same offering of salvation to someone who comes to Him on their deathbed.
That’s not how we view things – a day’s wage for a day’s pay – and if someone gets more than me that I think doesn’t deserve it – then that’s not fair! God isn’t fair by our standards. Besides – what do you really deserve anyway?
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Paul said: Philippians 3:7-8 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
So the question is: where do you get your sense of worth – where do your rewards come from?
I think Jesus answers that question in just a few verses.
17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"
This is now the third time Jesus spoke of His death – this time, though, telling His disciples that it was going to happen in Jerusalem.
Why does He say it here, now? Could it be that He is illustrating the truth that He has shared by His own life. Jesus will become last – putting us first. And – though they don’t know it now – it is also a sign of the generosity of God – that He will pay the ultimate price, even for us who are hanging around with nothing to do – while we are starving for lack of nourishment.
Oddly – though He tells them here plainly that He’ll rise again to life on the third day – when it happened, the disciples had a terrible time believing it.
Now why this next takes place right after these sobering teachings and prophecies is beyond me, but it does illustrate Jesus’ point:
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 "What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22 "You don’t know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
Talk about your typical stage mother! Some people might say that woman has chutzpa!
Bottom line: don’t be the one to push yourself up in God’s kingdom – don’t claim yourself to be somebody. Instead, take the position of a servant – love others, serve others, encourage – and let God do the lifting up.
Also – don’t be a stage mom – it doesn’t mean you can’t say nice things about other people – but don’t be a front for someone else who wants to get ahead. This is exactly the wrong kind of attitude Jesus is promoting.
I think it’s probably the attitude the rich young ruler had – pretty full of himself and wanting recognition and reward. Want relationship and changed character instead!
Not surprisingly, the disciples were pretty miffed at this obvious power
play.
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
Indignant here means: "much grief." I think maybe that’s putting it mildly. See the kind of fruit this attitude bears? Now that competition has been introduced as an element among the disciples, bitterness and envy come right along. Jesus drives His point home by making one of the most crucial statements about leadership in the entire gospel:
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Jesus is saying three things here:
1. You recognize this type of behavior operating in the world
To "lord over" means to force into subjugation – to control. To "exercise authority" means "to have full privilege." So I tell you what you can’t do, and I also force you to do what I want you to do. It’s as common today as it was back then – except that our republic form of government provides some checks and balances – some.
2. This isn’t the way of my kingdom – in fact it’s the opposite. Greatness comes by service, not by subjugation.
To serve here is the word where we get "deacon." Its an errand runner – a "gofur." And the word "slave" is doulos which means a bondservant – someone that has voluntarily or involuntarily been committed to the service of others.
Does this description fit you? Now it doesn’t mean that if someone tells you to throw yourself down in a mudpuddle so they can walk over you that you do it – what it means is are we committed to the welfare of others? Are we willing to do things for people that others wouldn’t do?
In other words – don’t strive for the top, ignoring the menial needs of others – instead of looking up, look around you – find someone that you can help, and help them – pray for them, do something practical, encourage them spiritually – just be a friend.
Believe it or not – this is where real worth comes from, this is where real rewards happen – not in striving and clawing to get the most honor, but in giving of yourself for others. Try it sometime.
3. The third thing Jesus is saying here is that not only is this the example, but I’m about to show you practically how this works – and not only when they get to Jerusalem, but right on the road in front of them.
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
33 "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
We find out in other gospels that one of the men in this story is Bartimaeus. Jericho was about 18 miles southeast of Jerusalem. It had many wealthy inhabitants and was thus a popular begging spot.
Notice that these guys couldn’t see Jesus coming, but they heard about Him. They cried out "Son of David" because it was a key sign that they recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The crowd shouted them down but they yelled all the more, and Jesus heard them and healed them.
This is a good illustration for us – when it comes to faith in Jesus and trusting Him no matter what – the crowds around us will tell us to quiet down too – but we should press in all the more.
Conclusion
I want to conclude by making some statements from the last three chapters – statements about rewards and worth. Jesus has been giving us example after example that shows us how to find true rewards and real worth and I want us to take these things away with us. I’ll read them in a series of statements – first what rewards are not, then where they are found.
Rewards aren’t found by getting more than another
Rewards are found by giving up all and becoming like a child – simply trusting Jesus (Ch 18)
Rewards aren’t found by ferreting out the faults in others to bring you up
Rewards are found in finding and giving forgiveness (Ch 18)
Rewards aren’t found by seeing how much you can get away with
Rewards are found by seeing how much of your life you can commit (Ch 19)
Rewards aren’t found in being good
Rewards are found by being with the One who is good (Ch 19)
Rewards aren’t found by how hard you work
Rewards are found by answering the call and receiving grace (Ch 20)
Rewards aren’t found in how much honor you receive
Rewards are found in how much honor you give (Ch 20)
