The Unpredictability of God's Kingdom
Notes
Transcript
1 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
2 After he agreed with the workers to pay them a denarion, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 “Then he went out around nine in the morning and saw others standing around the marketplace doing nothing.
4 He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I’ll pay you whatever is right.’
5 And they went. “Again around noon and then at three in the afternoon, he did the same thing.
6 Around five in the afternoon he went and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why are you just standing around here doing nothing all day long?’
7 “ ‘Because nobody has hired us,’ they replied. “He responded, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and moving on finally to the first.’
9 When those who were hired at five in the afternoon came, each one received a denarion.
10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarion.
11 When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,
12 ‘These who were hired last worked one hour, and they received the same pay as we did even though we had to work the whole day in the hot sun.’
13 “But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I did you no wrong. Didn’t I agree to pay you a denarion?
14 Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give to this one who was hired last the same as I give to you.
15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you resentful because I’m generous?’
16 So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”
The Unpredictability of God’s Kingdom
Imagine that you get up bright and early in the morning, eager to organize your schedule for the day. You look out the window and notice that there is not a single cloud in the sky at this moment. You and your family make the decision that today would be an excellent day for a picnic, so you pack some food, grab a blanket, and make your way to a nearby park.
You are preparing the location for your picnic as the sun is shining beautifully and everything appears to be in great order. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, a mass of black clouds rolled in, and within a few minutes, it started to rain. Your picnic has been wrecked, and you are frantically trying to grab your possessions so that you can seek shelter as quickly as possible.
Now, here's the interesting part: the weather forecast you checked earlier didn't mention a single drop of rain. The weather forecast called for a bright and cloudless day. However, as is common knowledge, the weather may be extremely hard to anticipate. It can change in an instant, taking us by surprise with rain just when we thought the sky was clear.
In a very similar way, the kingdom of God can frequently be just as unpredictable as the weather. The plans and actions of God do not always line up with what we anticipate or hope for. Along the same lines as the unexpected downpour, the grace and gifts of God can enter our life at times when we are least expecting it, challenging our assumptions and showing the wondrous unpredictability of His kingdom.
This parable that Jesus tells ends in a way that those first hearers would not have expected. Truth in fact we have a hard time with this story because it is not what we expect. I think the main reason we struggle with it is it challenges with the issue of fairness or justice.
This parable is really a continuation of the conversations that occured in the prior chapter. There is the encounter of Jesus with some children and the disciples trying to chase them away. Then a young guy who was rich came and talked with Jesus but left sad because of Jesus answer. Then there is Peter. He asks the question Matthew 19:27 ““Look, we’ve left everything and followed you. What will we have?””
Jesus transitions from his response to Peter’s question to this story.
The first three verses lay the ground-work for the story and the unexpected end.
1 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
2 After he agreed with the workers to pay them a denarion, he sent them into his vineyard.
So Jesus is using a scenario that would be very common to those who were listening to him that day. However, he starts by stating “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.”
God through the Holy Spirit is always at work calling and drawing people to Himself. Some responded early in their lives and served him to their dying day. Others were adults when they responding to the Holy Spirit’s call to salvation. Some were on their death bed when they responded to that free gift of salvation.
When we lived in Virginia, there were places that would see groups of men standing on a street corner, especially where contractors would notice them. It was not uncommon for a work truck to stop and pick up one or more of those men to help them with a job.
Those were day laborers. They worked for the day and were paid at the end of the day, most often in cash. If they were good at what they did, that day job could work into a permanent job.
This landowner in Jesus story where much like those contractors we saw where we lived. They had a job that needed done, so they went to the place where workers hung out hoping for some work. The landowner told those there what he needed and how many he needed. They agreed on being paid a denarion for the days work. A denarion was a days wage.
It must have been harvest season for the grapes. They must have been at the right amount of ripeness. The land owner hires those first guys and sends them out into the vineyard. At 9 am he hires some more and sends them to the vineyard. At noon they must have been running behind so he hires them and sends them out. At 3 pm he does the same thing, hiring some more workers. 5 pm comes and they must have had that final push to get done and more workers were needed. He hires some more guys to help with the last few hours of daylight.
The landowner has his manager to line up the men beginning with the ones who were hired at 5 and pay them. They step forward and each are paid one denarion. The guys who where hired first are seeing that the newcomers are being paid that one denarion so they are anticipating being paid much more.
It was a generally held belief that people who worked longer hours would be compensated financially better than those who worked less hours overall. This expectation originated from a sense of justice and the realization that the laborers and their families needed money to survive.
People were aware that day laborers relied on their daily salaries to maintain their standard of living, thus the concept of receiving a lower wage even working more hours appeared nonsensical to them.
This conventional wisdom was challenged and flipped upside down by the parable. It envisioned a scenario in which all employees, irrespective of the number of hours they put in, were paid the same wage.This unanticipated turn of circumstances served as a powerful means of instruction for illustrating the radical nature of God's grace, which is not restricted by human standards of fairness or merit.
Jesus used the story to illustrate a more profound spiritual reality, which is that the kingdom of God runs according to standards that go beyond the concept of human fairness. The grace of God is unmerited favor that is bestowed on everyone without regard to their deeds or history; it cannot be purchased or merited in any way.
Now that we have examined how Jesus used the story to illustrate a more profound spiritual reality, one that challenges our understanding of human fairness and introduces us to the concept of God's unmerited favor — His grace — we are able to delve deeper into the lessons about God's kingdom that this parable reveals. This parable is a powerful gateway to understanding how the kingdom of God operates on principles that transcend human concepts of fairness and merit. It invites us to embrace a grace that cannot be earned but is freely granted to everyone who respond to His call.
I haven’t really paid much attention to it, but I understand that the United Auto Workers are striking at the manufacturing plants. One word that I heard used several times is “fairness.” The men in this parable would have agreed with the UAW. Look at verses 11-12
11 When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,
12 ‘These who were hired last worked one hour, and they received the same pay as we did even though we had to work the whole day in the hot sun.’
In essence they were saying it is not fair. Have you ever said that to God? It’s not fair! We have expectations for how we think God should operate. He should do things they way we want them done. He should give us everything we want. The prophet Isaiah recorded these words from God.
8 My plans aren’t your plans, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my plans than your plans.
Our preconceived notions about how things work in the world are called into question in the parable of the workers in the vineyard, which also serves as an introduction to the distinctive characteristics of God's kingdom.
The story demonstrates that in the kingdom of God, grace is extended to each and every person in the same measure. There is no difference in the grace that is made available to you regardless of how long you have been a follower of God or how recently you have come to know Him. This puts into question the common belief that one must work to earn one's blessings by their actions.
Expectations are flipped around In this tale and those who worked fewer hours get paid first and receive the same wage as those who worked all day. This is a reflection of the kingdom idea that may be found in the teachings of Jesus, which states that "the last shall be first." This teaches us to look at achievement and reward in God's kingdom through a different lens than the world does, which pushes us to grow in this area.
God's kingdom is characterized by both wealth and generosity. The fact that the landowner was ready to give all of the laborers the same compensation, regardless of the number of hours worked, is an illustration of the lavish grace of God. It compels us to be generous in both our thoughts and deeds, just as God is generous, and this is a reflection of God's character.
The idea of God's grace as a demonstration of His unconditional love is fundamental to Christianity. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard clearly illustrates this. Here are a few verses that support this idea:
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV): "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
This verse highlights that our salvation is a gift of God's grace and that it is not dependent on our works.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) clearly depicts God's unconditional love. In the story, a younger son wastes his inheritance on wild living and becomes destitute. When he returns home, expecting to be treated as a hired servant, his father runs to him, embraces him, and rejoices at his return. This moving story powerfully illustrates the idea that God's love and grace are not based on our merits or past behavior. We can always return to God, like the prodigal son, and experience His love and forgiveness.
Throughout the Bible, the concept of God's grace being radically inclusive is clear, challenging our desire to judge or reject others based on human standards:
Galatians 3:28 (NIV): "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, nor male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
This verse emphasizes the idea that there is no distinction in Christ based on ethnicity, social rank, or gender. God's grace is extended to everyone.
The story of the woman caught in adultery is found in John 8:1-11. The religious leaders bring her before Jesus, seeking to stone her in accordance with the law. Jesus, on the other hand, reacts with grace and inclusion. He challenges them, saying, "Let any of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." The accusers drop their stones and leave one by one, and Jesus forgives the woman, saying, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." This story demonstrates how God's grace reaches even the most marginalized and condemned people, challenging us to stop from judgment and exclusion.
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard highlights that salvation in God's kingdom is a gift freely given, not earned through works or efforts. This concept is echoed in numerous biblical passages:
5 he saved us because of his mercy, not because of righteous things we had done. He did it through the washing of new birth and the renewing by the Holy Spirit,
This verse highlights that our salvation is based on God's mercy rather than our good works.
The story of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43) is a stunning picture of grace via faith in redemption. While one of the criminals crucified with Jesus made fun of Him, the other admitted his wrongdoing and expressed confidence in Jesus, saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." In response, Jesus promised the repentant thief of his immediate entrance into paradise. This story eloquently emphasizes that salvation is a gift gained by faith and God's grace rather than through deeds.
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is a powerful illustration of how God's kingdom differs from the norms of the world. It reveals a God whose grace is limitless, freely given to all, and unconstrained by human ideals of fairness or merit. Understanding these truths encourages us to humbly accept God's grace and to provide that same grace and generosity to others in our own lives.
Let’s take a moment to explore whether we unintentionally place limitations on God's grace based on the sense of fairness. Do you ever catch yourself thinking, "It's not fair for that person to receive the same grace as I do" or "I've worked harder in my faith, so I deserve more blessings"? These attitudes can unconsciously restrict our ability to fully embrace God's grace.
Let’s look at a few examples.
Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer and sex offender, is said to have converted to Christianity while incarcerated. Dahmer was sentenced to 16 consecutive life terms in prison after being convicted in 1992 of the killings of 17 men and boys. He began attending Bible classes while in prison and professed remorse for his crimes.
Dahmer's conversion to Christianity and declarations of remorse sparked debate about forgiveness, redemption, and the possibility of salvation, even for someone who had committed such unimaginable crimes.
Rosaria Butterfield's life took a drastic turn in the late 1990s when she began on a faith journey that eventually led to her conversion to Christianity. Her conversion story is told in her memoir, "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert," which was released in 2012. It tells the story of how a self-identified lesbian and fierce critic of Christianity, came into contact with the Gospel through the hospitality and friendship of a Christian pastor and his wife.
In a world that frequently runs on the ideals of fairness and merit, God's grace shines as a light of hope and awe. It defies human expectations and transcends the boundaries of what we consider fair. Instead, it is a divine gift bestowed without distinction on both saint and sinner. This unpredictable beauty of God's grace reminds us that our heavenly Father's ways are higher than ours, and His thoughts are beyond our comprehension. It calls us to let go of our urge to control and categorize and simply accept the majesty of His unlimited love.
God's grace is a living reality, not a passive concept. It is the divine energy that transforms hearts, redeems lives, and offers eternal redemption. When we accept this gift, we take on a new identity as God's loved children, forgiven and reconciled to our Maker. It is a grace that frees us from guilt and shame, enables us to love and forgive others as we have been loved and forgiven, and allows us to walk in the light of His truth. This life-changing gift reminds us that we are characterized by God's grace and the newness of life gained in Christ, not by our past, faults, or successes.
We are urged to action as we ponder on the unpredictable beauty and life-changing gift of God's grace. We are expected to embrace this grace not only for ourselves but also to extend it to others, even when it appears "unfair" by worldly standards. We are challenged to be conduits of God's grace to a world in need, just as the landowner in the vineyard gave excessive kindness to all the workers, regardless of their hours worked. Let us rejoice and spread this grace, knowing that it has the ability to heal wounds, restore relationships, and transform communities. In doing so, we mimic our Savior's love, which poured forth unending grace on us. May we also be receptacles of His unpredictability, beauty, and life-changing grace.