Main point: The goodness of God cannot be measured by the world s standards.

The Workers February 5, 2017 Matthew 20:1-16 We come this morning to the parable of the workers in the vineyard. I have found this to be a fascinating parable. It is a parable that is quite easily understood. But it leads us to side with one particular group of characters, and then it tells us that we are wrong in siding with them. It calls into question our understanding of justice, of fairness. And then, since we know clearly that it is talking about God and His treatment of us, it leads us to conclude that God is not fair, that God is not just, when the parable is trying to teach us that He IS fair, that He IS just, that He in fact is good and generous. So, it calls into question our understanding of the fairness of God. But in the process, it teaches us about life in the kingdom. Indeed, it begins with, For the kingdom of heaven is like So, if this is what the kingdom of heaven is like, then we need to re-examine our understanding of the kingdom. Here, let s just read the parable so you can perhaps begin to see what makes this a difficult and yet wonderful parable. I pause to give you a hint: this parable is not directed toward them, but toward us. Unlike many parables, this one is directly pointed toward the true disciples of Jesus. And the point is that the kingdom does not operate by human standards. READ Matthew 20:1-16. Main point: The goodness of God cannot be measured by the world s standards. If you try to fit God into human patterns, He will never fit. You will never understand His kingdom. We see this in the proverb which both precedes this parable and concludes it, the last will be first, and the first will be last. This is Jesus description of His kingdom. It is the opposite of our natural expectations. We expect that good behavior results in reward. We expect that long service is rewarded with a great reward. Who would expect that those who put in little will be rewarded the same as those who labor long and hard? That is not fair, that is not right. But to that I say, Take it up with the boss. He writes the paychecks. He gets to set up how His kingdom works. And He has declared that it doesn t fit worldly expectations. It is an upside down kingdom. The first will be last and the last will be first. And the challenge out of this parable of the workers is that there is no place for envy or jealousy among His people. The

disciples of Jesus must not be governed by this world s standards. We ought all rejoice in the goodness of God, no matter who seems to receive more of it. I. Setting: those most deserving expect more reward. That is how the world functions. The most deserving receive the most compensation. Today is the Super Bowl, when the two best teams play for the right to be called the champion team. You may disagree with the teams involved, but the rules were laid out and these two teams have achieved this status. They have earned the right to play in the Super Bowl. The setting for the parable of the workers is a bit more comprehensive than what we are used to. This whole section of Matthew serves as the setting. If you would open to Matthew 19, I hope you will see what I mean. In vv. 13-15, Jesus announces that children have as much right to Him as anyone does. He announces that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. The disciples had rebuked the parents who brought their children to be blessed by Jesus. Jesus in turn rebukes them that they do not understand the kingdom. Children are not only allowed, but have a special place. Then we have the story of the rich young ruler, who had to learn that his wealth did not get him into the kingdom, indeed it hindered him from entering. He needed to trade his earthly treasure for heavenly treasure, giving what he had to the poor. The disciples are taken aback and wonder if they will be rewarded for all they have given up. Would their effort be rewarded by God? And in Jesus answer to them, He gives the proverb, (v.30) But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. This proverb is followed by our parable. And yet, we are not finished with the setting. Later in chapter 20, we have the request from the mother of James and John, asking that Jesus grant her boys the place of a seat on either side of Jesus in the kingdom. Are you seeing the connection? It is still the same issue. She thought, her boys thought that with status comes privilege, or reward. Her

boys deserved these places of honor. Again, Jesus had to put her and them in their places. He chastises them that the kingdom of God is not like the world, where high officials lord their position over those beneath. Instead, in the kingdom greatness is achieved through humble service, giving Jesus as the ultimate example. Immediately following that story, we have Jesus encounter with two blind men yelling at Him alongside the road. Again, the two men are rebuked by the crowd. They shouldn t be bothering Jesus. And again, Jesus takes the opposite approach and gives them their sight. In all of these scenarios, the people were operating by the world s standards while Jesus announces the opposite to be true in His kingdom. His kingdom does not operate as the world does. You cannot measure Him as you do every other world system. Enter the parable of the workers. II. The owner of the vineyard has the right to show His goodness in whatever way he pleases. It must be measured by whether He was good and whether He kept His word. 20:1-16 It cannot be measured by our own standards of justice and fairness. Since He is the owner, He sets the rules. Fairness is determined by whether He keeps His word, and whether He is good to all. Fairness is not measured by whether every person is treated equally, because equality depends on your perspective. This is the ingenious aspect of this parable. v.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. Immediately we see here that we are in a parable about the kingdom. This is what life is like in the kingdom of God. Again, it is a setting in a vineyard. But this time the fact that it is a vineyard really doesn t matter to the story. He is

hiring workers. He is hiring workers by the day, day laborers. It was a normal scenario in that day, much as it is in many places in our world today. We don t function that way, we have jobs, contracts, salaries. But in many places it is common to hire workers simply by the day, paying them for their labors for that day. That is the scenario here. v.2- He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. This was the standard wage for a day s labor. It was not extravagant by any stretch of the imagination. But it was a survivable day s wage for the common worker. So, the owner went out, found some workers, agreed to pay them a day s wage and put them to work. So far, so good. v.3- About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right. V.4- So they went. Now we have a situation of fairness. The text says the owner promised to pay them whatever is right. How much is that? The text does not say. However, it does say that He will make it right. He will not cheat them. He will be fair with them. He is trustworthy to keep his word. And they agree to go. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 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? Because no one has hired us, they answered. He said to them, You also go and work in my vineyard.

We must notice the repeated reference to the fact that they were idle when he finds them. They are not working. Why this detail? It seems to me it accentuates the fact that without work, the day laborer does not eat. He needs the work each day in order to eat. So, the owner hires him. He has plenty of work to do. They need work to eat. Win, win. v.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. A normal workday would have been 12 hours. It is the end of the day and therefore time for payment of wages. He tells his worker to pay the men, beginning with the latest hired. Why that order? We are not told. My sense is to highlight the seeming unfairness of the whole situation. If he went in the opposite order, no one would have noticed the seeming injustice unless they were told after the fact. The worders who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. Fair? Well, that depends on what you mean by fair. They received enough money to live on for 1 day. They worked one day. Yes, their day was shorter, but that didn t change their need. They were day laborers and this was their pay for that day. So, yes, the payment was fair, even generous. v.10- So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. Fair? Yes, it was a day s wage for a day s work. It was the agreed upon price. The owner was true to his word. But here we see the problem. Let s see it from

the perspective of those hired at noon. If they compare themselves to those hired early in the morning, they could see themselves as getting a good deal, generous even. But then they find out that those hired at 3:00 in the afternoon got paid the same amount. Now how do they feel? Cheated. Now it is not fair, when it was generous just a little while ago. Nothing has changed. The owner has been true to his word and generous to them. The problem is when they compare their deal with their neighbor. Now fairness comes into play. What exactly is fair? v.11- When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. V.12- These men who were hired last worked only one hour, they said, and you have made the equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day. Now they whine. Now they complain about the conditions. They want the owner to notice the hard work they have put in, during the hottest part of the day. Now they feel receiving equal pay is not fair, they worked more, harder. v.13- But he answered one of them, Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn t you agree to work for a denarius? V.14- Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. V.15- Don t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? Now the owner asserts his rights to make whatever deal he wants. Each person agreed to do the work, and he has kept his promise to pay them. He has paid them equally, but suddenly to the worker who worked the longest, equal was not equal, equal was unfair. This is where we bristle. What is fair? Doesn t the worker have a point? Not really. No one was enslaved. Each made an agreement. The owner has kept

the agreement. He has been good and faithful. The problem is looking at your neighbor and comparing your deal to his. As I stated at the outset, we understand the frustration of the early workers. But from the opposite perspective, it was perfectly fair to them and the owner is free to make the deals he chooses. I trust you can see where the application of this parable is headed. III. Application: God s kingdom especially honors the least, the last, and the lost. V.16 If you don t like it, that s tough. You were told. He holds a special place in His kingdom for the outcast, the child, the infirmed, the sinner, the poor. You might think He would reward the best, the brightest, the most successful. But He has chosen otherwise and He has the right to do so. It is His kingdom. v.16- So the last will be first, and the first will be last. Now we come to the proverb, using almost identical wording to the same proverb given right before our parable. This proverb is not solely tied to this parable. Indeed, the other gospels have it attached to completely different texts. But the point is the same. You might say it is presented as a way of characterizing the kingdom of God. If you want to know what the kingdom of God is like, remember that the last will be first and the first last. It is the opposite of your expectations. In our world, the first are first and the last are last. The best are rewarded, the worst punished. The best teams go to the Super Bowl. But it is not so with God. He chooses to honor the least, the last, and the lost. He has that right. He can do as He pleases and I for one am so glad He does. Applying this parable has been problematic over the years. We must refrain from taking it beyond its intended meaning. Yes, this highlights grace over wages, but that is not the point. This is not a parable that teaches you enter the kingdom

by grace. That might be some other parable, but not this one. This one has wages from beginning to end. The owner is paying wages to everyone. Everyone has agreed to work for wages. This parable ought also not be taken as excluding certain people from the kingdom while admitting some. All of the workers were paid. In that sense, this parable is not focused on judgment. And nor is it saying there will not be rewards for those who give more, that we all receive the same honor. Scripture is quite clear that some will be specially honored for their sacrifice (martyrs) No, this parable is all about the values of the owner. This is all about Him being able to set priorities and honor those whom He chooses. And it doesn t have to meet our test for fairness. Can you see how this fits the context of Matthew 19-20? The disciples thought parents with children ought not bother someone as important as Jesus as He teaches. Jesus rebukes them. They have their priorities mixed up. The rich young ruler thought his wealth ought to serve him in status before God. But Jesus rebukes him, declaring that his riches were hindering him in status before God. He had his priorities mixed up. James and John thought their status entitled them to special honor in the kingdom. Jesus rebuked them. They had their priorities mixed up. The blind men were told to be quiet by the crowd. Jesus rebuked them and healed the two men. The crowd s priorities were mixed up. In each case, their priorities were governed by the way the world works, not the way the kingdom works. In the kingdom, the first will be last and the last first. Indeed, this is a high priority for the kingdom. If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give up your life, you will gain it. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came for the sick, not the healthy. He came for the sinners, not the saints. He tells us that we are not to honor the prominent, but honor the least. He tells us not to honor the honorable, but to honor the parts of the body that are less honorable. Those we are to honor with special honor. This is how His kingdom works. And it is His kingdom! Deal with it!!!! If we believe this passage is the Word of God, then what should be different about our lives? 1) We will get rid of our worldly ideas of what the Kingdom of God ought to be like.

(That is called religion.) 2) We will focus our attention on the goodness God has extended to us. 3) We will resist the urge to compare ourselves to others. 4) We will reflect kingdom values as the Church.