Ex 16:2-15; Ps 105:1-6, 37-45; Phil 1:21-30; Mt 20:1-16
Opening Prayer
Good morning. Allow me to first say that it is wonderful to be a part of this church family. I would like to thank everyone for your very warm welcome these last few weeks. It is a privilege to serve here with Rev. Liz, and I look forward to getting to know all of you these next few months.
Today’s gospel reading is Jesus’ Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. This past summer I had the opportunity to preach on this passage, while up north in the community of Leaf Rapids. For two consecutive years, I have been blessed to lead a mission trip up to this remote community – which lies between Thompson and Lynn Lake.
The community of Leaf Rapids is truly a modern-day example of a forgotten community, which has fallen through the cracks. Just over this past summer, they have experienced multiple suicides in their small community, arson to many homes and a mass evacuation from wildfires, in which they returned to spoiled food due to a power outage.
When I preached on this passage – I focused on the verse “the first will be last, and the last will be first”. How well received and needed that a message like this is to a community that faces heart break and disaster every few days. A community like Leaf Rapids needs the hope that this Parable provides to the outcasts and forgotten of this world.
Today I want to go in a different direction, as there is a more essential message in this gospel passage for us here today. Which I also believe is the primary focus of this parable.
That focus is this: God’s gift of salvation is both just and generous.
Within this focus there are two main points that we will consider today:
- Because God’s gift of salvation is just (fair), we should never grumble about God’s undeserved grace.
- Because God’s gift of salvation is equally gracious, we should never resent God’s amazing generosity.
But first, let us unpack this Parable a little, because Parables can often be confusing with all their symbolism.
The most important character in this Parable is the master, also called the landowner of the vineyard. This landowner is of course, God. The labourers of the vineyard are members of the Kingdom of heaven (Christians). The work of the vineyard then represents Christian Work that the Lord has given his children to do, or more specifically known as gospel work.
In the context at the time, the vineyard (and the harvest of the vineyard) is Israel. But as Matthew’s gospel progresses, so does the Kingdom boundaries. So, when we read this text today, the harvesting of the vineyard represents Christians working for the world harvest.
The final detail that is important to note here is the daily wage (denarius). In Jesus’ day a denarius was simply the amount of money paid to a day labourer for a day’s worth of labor. The daily wage (denarius) in this story represents the gift of final salvation (the “eternal life” the rich young ruler was wanting in the previous chapter). Notice the money was given at the end of the day. This fits Old Testament labor laws, but it also fits New Testament eschatology. Christians are saved now – the moment we trust in Christ – but we will be saved in the future, when the ransom of Christ’s death will be paid out in full to those who believe.
Therefore, the denarius is the gift of final salvation given for a day’s work, a believer’s lifetime of humble gospel service.
This brief overview is my most faithful and honest breakdown of the symbolism of this Parable.
With that in mind, we come to our two main points:
- Because God’s gift of salvation is just (fair), we should never grumble about God’s undeserved grace:
There are two wayward replies to grace, and the first is the action of grumbling. Of course, the word grumbling would remind us of today’s exodus reading and Israel’s grumblings in the wilderness. And Jesus intends for us to make that connection here.
The clear point is not be like the exodus generation who was saved from slavery, saved from the rule of Pharoah, saved from the Red Sea, only to die without inheriting the promise.
They died because they never got past their grumbling. They were never grateful for God’s grace. They never enjoyed the life they were given.
In our Exodus reading, we understand that the grumbling against Moses was really grumbling against the Lord. Our Lord Jesus in this story in his own masterful way, teaches the same truth. That is, do not grumble against God.
However, it is quite easy when reading this Parable to become sympathetic with those workers that were hired first. It is almost natural to cry out “Injustice” when the last get paid the same amount as the first. The Lord of the vineyard has broken the first rule of all economics: the more work, the more pay. We must at least admit this employer does not model fair labor laws.
Ah, but Parables are not designed to teach business ethics or principles. Rather, Parables are designed to get us to think (and act). And we are not being asked here to think alongside the first hired, but rather Jesus wants us to think along the lines of: “Wow, when it comes to grace, God’s generosity transcends human conceptions of fairness.”
Simply put, in terms of God’s grace we are all given far more then we deserve.
When we emotionally trip over the foundational concept of the Christian message (sinners saved by grace), we stumble not over God’s injustice but rather his generosity.
God’s gift of salvation is just (fair). He will do whatever is right (v. 4), he will do “no wrong” (v.13), so let us not grumble about the undeserved grace that God provides.
We should never feel wronged or cheated by God if he seemingly gives more grace to others than we would. Don’t be angry or envious if others loved by God are not as holy or as hard working as us. But rather, be grateful for being chosen. Be grateful for the opportunity to serve/work for God’s Kingdom. Be incredibly grateful for getting “paid” at the end of the day.
- Because God’s gift of salvation is equally gracious, we should never resent God’s amazing generosity.
We have looked at the wrong action of grumbling, and now we turn to the wrong attitude of resentment.
The workers hired first begrudge/resent God. They are not seeing him as good or generous.
This problematic attitude for them, can easily become a problem for us.
Self interest, a lack of compassion for others, or a misunderstanding of the nature of grace distorts our clear vision. We can easily see what is good as evil, compassionate as cruel, generous as tightfisted.
God’s gift of salvation is equally gracious (every believer equally receives eternal life), so we can’t resent God’s amazing generosity. Even if God wants to give such life to someone who really doesn’t deserve it in our eyes. Such as the sinful women who wept at Jesus feet; like Zacchaeus, the tax collector; like Cornelius, the Roman Centurion; like the thief on the cross.
Fill in the blank here of whoever is the worst kind of person in your mind. Do not resent God’s amazing generosity toward them.
The following question is a good challenge. What do you think about sharing from the tree of life with the worst type of sinner in the new heavens and the new earth? Does the thought of it shock your sensibilities? Well, that’s the shock of the gospel. That’s the shock of this Parable, the Parable of the super-generous Lord. Our super generous Lord Jesus.
Let us never resent God’s amazing generosity.
Final Thoughts
We understand from the gospel reading today that we neither deserve God’s grace, nor should we consider anyone else more unworthy than ourselves.
Jesus advocates that no one earns salvation or is owed salvation based on good works or many works, but rather that those chosen by grace are given important work to do. And it is through a response of gratitude for the grace given to us, that spurs us on to live a life worthy of the gospel.
And as our reading in Philippians makes clear: as we strive together as one for the faith, we will live lives worthy of the gospel. Striving together through struggles, trials, good times, new times. This is not always easy to do as a family of believer, but much easier when we truly understand how fortunate we are to be chosen by God, and how wonderful it is whenever someone (anyone) finds salvation in the Lord.
In the community of Leaf Rapids, there are many who have never experienced the gospel authentically shared with them in word and deed. Which is devastating because it is often those on the outskirts of society who are more open to accept God’s amazing gift of salvation.
To hear the message of this Parable, is absolute music to their ears.
To be accepted by God as equals, to know they are unconditionally loved by God, to see God’s labourers come to share this message in love is all very warmly welcomed. And as I have personally witnessed, it changes lives. Although many in that community have done horrible things beyond our comprehension, it is not our job as hired hands to decide who deserves God’s forgiveness and the gift of eternal life (salvation). Rather it is our job to rejoice over each of every soul who welcomes this gift with open arms and accepts this gift with a grateful heart.
Our team goes to Leaf Rapids because God first loved us, and we want that love made available to every person; no matter who they are and no matter what they’ve done. We know that we are called to strive together in this important work that has been prepared for us to do.
Through the teaching of our Lord Jesus in the gospel passage, we don’t learn all of God’s thoughts, but we do learn this important detail about his grace: God’s gift of salvation is just and generous. So let us not grumble against God, let us not resent God’s generosity.
Rather, may we all be incredibly grateful for God’s amazing grace. Expressing our gratitude by being living sacrifices for the Lord, and by sharing in word and deed with all those whom the Lord brings into our lives.
And when we live in this gratitude, we are well on our way to living lives worthy of the gospel.
Amen.